"Let's visit the fort?"
Aries's voice pierced the silent air inside the carriage, making Suzanne, her lady-in-waiting, raise her brows.
"Your Majesty?" Suzanne was confused. "You want to go to the fort?"
"I might lose my mind if I keep myself inside the palace walls today." Aries moved the curtain away from the window, staring at the gloomy street of the capital. "The fort is almost the farthest from the palace and the closest to the outside world."
Suzanne wanted to argue or remind her that there were many royal duties Aries must adhere to. Aries was the queen, after all. She couldn't just easily leave her post anytime she pleased. The reason Aries didn't think twice about putting the church's visit in her schedule under the facade of praying for her late husband.
Regardless of the grandiose title and everything that came along with it, Aries was nothing but a prisoner. A bird in an aviary; was the queen.
"As you wish, Your Majesty." Suzanne didn't argue, bowing as she opened the side of her window to relay the order to Gustav.
Gustav, who was riding in a steed, gazed at the window to glimpse Aries. Seeing the queen's unchanging side profile, he shifted his attention back to Suzanne. The two of them exchanged looks before Gustav nodded in understanding. He said nothing to her, raising his voice to the rest of the entourage, giving the orders of their change of destination.
With that being said, Suzanne sighed once again. She closed the window, looking back at Aries.
"If you open the window that wide, it'll be dangerous, my queen," reminded Suzanne to her queen, even though at the back of her mind, she knew Aries didn't need such a reminder. "We might've not used the royal carriage, it is still dangerous."
"Everyone's eyes were on me, Suzanne. Even if I didn't use the royal carriage, they would know I am inside this carriage," Aries replied, closing the curtain slightly. "However, they don't want me dead right now. Do you know why?"
"Because they haven't figured out what Grimsbanne's plan was?"
"Exactly." Aries retrieved her hand from the curtain, already contented in the little gap between the curtain and window where she could get a glimpse of outside. "The only person keeping the Grimsbanne… particularly, Abel, at bay, is me. I am their hostage and harming me right now wouldn't be beneficial to them."
Suzanne's lips parted, but then she shut them again. She drew a deep breath, fumbling, mustering her courage to raise a question she was curious about.
"Your Majesty, if you don't mind, may I ask you a question?" asked Suzanne, only to hear Aries's indifferent response.
"You know how I hate it when you have concerns and don't ask right away. I won't mind since I decide to answer or not."
"Then, why are you stopping His Majesty to take action?" Suzanne bit her inner lip, observing Aries's reaction. When the latter didn't react, she cleared her throat and continued. "I know letting His Majesty take matters in his hand speaks nothing but chaos. However, it is the fastest way to resolve this matter. His Majesty was strong — the Grimsbanne Clan were powerful enough to triumphant in this battle."
Aries didn't speak immediately, keeping her gaze outside through that tiny gap. "Suzanne, how long have you been alive?"
"Pardon?" Suzanne furrowed her brows but still answered. "Over three decades, Your Majesty."
"Do you know how old Abel was?"
"Not the exact number, but I heard at least a few millennia."
"Do you know how old Maximus was?"
"Around the same as His Majesty — maybe a few centuries younger."
"With those numbers on the table, you can estimate how long our enemies existed." Aries slowly set her eyes back on Suzanne. "What I'm trying to say is that you have to put yourself in your enemy's shoes."
"It is true that fighting them head-on would may or may not make things easier for us. However, you have to keep in mind that these people lurking in everyone's shadows are people who had been scheming about the downfall of the Grimsbanne Clan," she continued in a slow, yet clear voice. "Having an aggressive enemy is easier than standing against patient ones. Before you know it, you are already stepping into their trap voluntarily."
"Considering the nature of the Grimsbanne, I'm certain our enemies had thought about that. Brute force isn't the only criteria for winning the war, Suzanne," she added, stressing her last sentence. "That is why there's a buildup of tension before a war breaks out."
pαndα`noν?1--сoМ Aries took a momentary pause, looking away from her handmaiden. "When words are useless, people will talk with their weapons. Whoever the victor means they were right. Our situation here is almost the same."
"The only difference is that peace talks were already not our option. We can only delay it to prepare and equip ourselves for an effective offense and solid defense," Aries remarked. Her tone was soft and calm, but the firmness in them was clear as day.
"But Your Majesty, stalling time to prepare also means your enemy will have more time to ensure their plans."
"True. Even so, we should have a concrete plan instead of just relying on our strength." Aries slowly looked back at Suzanne, holding the latter's gaze squarely. "Don't you think?"
Suzanne pressed her lips into a thin line, unable to look away from the queen's gaze. Even though Aries's eyes were slightly sharp but soft, Suzanne felt a little intimidated as if she wasn't used to Aries until now.
"That is correct, Your Majesty," Suzanne agreed with a nod. "They already waited this long before they made a move. That only meant they had nothing to add to their plans anymore."
"Wrong." Aries shook her head, letting out a weak and soundless chuckle. "Forcing them to take a step back is enough to shake them. That only means their plans might not run as smoothly as they thought they would, thus, they were also being careful. It made them question the plans they concocted for centuries."
"I plan to shake them repeatedly until my husband and in-laws are ready. I'm telling you, Suzanne, once that happens, it'll be an end of an era and a new beginning." A glint flickered across Aries's eyes as her eyelids drooped. "This world… will change."
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