The Emergency Meeting

Morgan knocked on Astraea's door the next morning and was surprised when she opened the door wearing the same clothes she had on last night.

"Did you work the entire night?"

Astraea nodded. "Yes. I needed to clear the backlog that happened while I was gone."

"Sure but you also need to take care of yourself. Where was Colin? Shouldn't he have sent you to bed?" Morgan peered into the room to look at the mess of files scattered around the room. There was no butler anywhere to be seen.

"I went to bed at a reasonable hour but didn't feel like sleeping so I got back up. He was in bed and asleep when I got up."

Morgan hummed to herself and then stacked up the reports strewed across the desk to make room for the one she came in with. "A scout arrived with this this morning."

Astraea finally looked up when the papers smacked the desk. "What do you mean this morning?"

"I mean like less than an hour ago. We made sure that the scout wouldn't bleed out and then I rushed the report here." Morgan tapped the report. "I'm pretty sure it's important given how desperate the scout seemed to get the report here."

Astraea flipped it open and scanned the first page. Her eyes widened as she read the scout's account of the camp that had parked itself on the ridge overlooking the border of Focaveh.

"When did this camp get here?"

"We're not sure but there is already a team getting ready to go out and take a better look."

Astraea nodded as she continued to read through the report. "Ok. We need to call a council. How soon can you call everyone in?"

"I think we can get everyone in about six hours with the emergency codes and given that it is so early." Morgan held her watch up for Astraea to see.

"Ok. Can you send out the codes? I am going to change and then I'll be up to refresh and start getting a game plan together."

Astraea stood up and Morgan curtsied as protocol dictacted. They walked out the room together and then went their separate ways.

*****

After taking a fast nap and splashing cold water on her face, Astraea made her way to the conference room with Colin swiftly on her heels. He caught the papers she flung in the air as she searched through a stack of papers in her arms.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this until now. Colin, what happened to the report from last year about the fringe villages being burned?"

"It was likely burned, Your Majesty. It was dismissed as nothing but bandits so would have been burned with the other non-essential reports."

Astraea pushed the conference room doors open and slammed her stack of papers on the desk. "We should stop doing that. How would we know if the attack patterns match?"

"With respect, Your Majesty, we would be overloaded with reports."

Morgan, who was sitting at the table and had heard her sister ranting down the hall, added, "It also doesn't seem like a plausible theory. Bandits working in large groups to make coordinated attacks also doesn't make sense."

"But, what if the bandits weren't coordinating with each other but with a larger authority?"

Colin stepped back to the wall as Morgan took over the conversation. "You are saying that Vallsia hired bandits to attack our villages?"

The council members walking into the room heard this and gasped.

Astraea backtracked quickly, "It is only a theory. We will have more information when a full scout team gets more information which is why I have called you here today. Esteemed council members, recent intelligence reports suggest that our Proud kingdom of Focaveh may soon be under attack. Before we panic or panic our citizens, I wish to send a scouting team to the fringe villages and get witness reports."

"Why do we need to approve a scout team? Can you not just send one?" The youngest and newest council member questioned.

The eldest member smiled sardonically, "Because she is not yet old enough to make such decisions and therefore we must advise her." He turned to Astraea, "Your Majesty, I advise against it. A full scouting team would not go unnoticed by our citizens or the eyes of other kingdoms. Why not let the fringe villages fall to the bandits? We have no need for them and they do and produce nothing for our Kingdom."

Queen Astraea gave herself a moment to silently scream in her head before taking a breath and calmly saying, "While I understand your concerns, Council Member Thomas, I also am concerned with your statement about just abandoning the outer villages. I also fail to see how a move like that would inspire confidence in us by other citizens. If we simply let bandits or anyone else take our villages, what does that say about me or you as a ruling body?"

Thomas tried to start talking but Astraea continued, "I am not done yet. Please do not interrupt. I propose a compromise if you do not want to send a full team. How about sending a group of three or four to do a routine inspection and evaluate the citizens' needs. These do happen in our kingdom so nothing would be remiss under any watchful eyes. As Crown Princess, Morgan can go and be an ambassador of the royal family since I myself cannot go. Does this sound agreeable?"

Council Member Thomas frowned but nodded, "I suppose that would be acceptable. Crown Princess Morgan could make a good liaison although I wish that no members of the royal family needed to go."

Astraea surveyed the room as she straightened the papers in front of her, "Your comment is noted. Are there any voices that currently disent?"

No one spoke up so Astraea concluded the meeting.

As the council members filled out, Astraea pulled Morgan aside to whisper the conclusion to her speech, "And as my military commander, you can evaluate the situation."