Marchioness Elenda of House Kale

Kingdom of Aruhel, House Yale's mansion in the capital. 284 AU.

Talfryn Yale, Duke of the South and Lord of Pearlforest, was no idiot. Many probably thought him to be one because he cared little about politics and hadn't bothered to come in the capital before being summoned for the succession crisis. There was no story about him, no songs, no rumour, nothing. He hadn't reacted to her son's births at all, which was impressive considering the national ruckus Vale's birth had caused. As such, many thought he was boring. Elenda wouldn't make that mistake. A glance at the man's eyes had told her she was facing a sharp man with a strong sense of pride. She wouldn't be able to easily manipulate him, but Elenda didn't mind. She would rather have a smart ally than a stupid one. Idiots got themselves killed far too quickly, which was always a pain.

She glanced at her sons. Vale looked, as always, completely disinterested by the situation and Elenda had to restrain herself from hitting him with her fan. She hadn't expected much of him, but she would appreciate if he could pretend to care. Especially when they were meeting important potential allies like bloody Duke Talfryn! May the gods give her patience, because if they gave her strength, she might become the first person in history to break a Virinen's bone. Thankfully, Helio was here. He looked proper, and his gentle disposition made him the perfect guest. She wished he was the elder of her sons, for Vale was an embarrassment most of the time. If he was a second son, people would care less. Alas, he wasn't, and Elenda was forced to clean up his messes. But she couldn't dwell on these matters right now. She needed to convince Duke Talfryn to side with her.

''Now that the girls have left, why don't you tell me what you have to offer me, Marchioness?''

''Straight to business, I see'', Elenda replied with a smile.

Next to her, Helio looked appalled at the way Duke Talfryn had spoken to her. Her darling boy was her most ardent defender, and she loved him dearly for that. Ever since he was a child, he had always been a gentleman at heart, and he would become the kind of knight one only heard of in songs. To match his good heart, Helio was one of the most handsome lads of Aruhel. He had her green eyes, and his father's hair. They were naturally curled like hers and framed his beautiful face. She was so incredibly proud of him. She would make him the greatest king of Aruhel.

''I have business to attend, and you have come unannounced. The only reason you haven't been turned down at the front door is because your sons are princes of the realm. So, what can you offer me in exchange for your support? House Kale isn't rich enough to be of significant interest to me.''

''I wasn't aware that there is any house rich enough compared to the might of House Yale'', she replied with a good-natured smile.

That earned her a sincere laugh from Duke Talfryn, and she took a sip of her tea. Men and their pride! Stroking their egos was almost always enough to them to do whatever she wanted. Had her sons been absent, she would have easily charmed Talfryn. She didn't mind taking him into her bed if that meant getting his support. She would rather avoid doing such a thing, but nothing was below her, especially if it meant protecting her sons.

''Indeed. But you've yet to answer my questions. What would I get from supporting your sons? After all, no matter how much His Majesty dotes on you and the princes, you're not his lawful wife, and your sons are bastards. Getting one of them on the throne will be a complicated battle, and I'd rather bet on the winning side. House Blackstone is older and stronger than House Kale, and Prince Amon is betrothed to Marquis Lorn's daughter. From my point of view, it's much more interesting to support Prince Amon than Prince Helio.''

Elenda didn't allow these words to deter her. She had fought uphill battles her whole life, she had become the King's favourite mistress and the most popular lady in the capital. Men had fought for her favour and begged her for a smile. She was no weakling and even though this fight would be harder than any other, she wouldn't back down. She would make Helio king or die trying. And, in order to win, she needed the South. She needed their soft power, their money, their resources. She needed access to their ports, to their trade routes. Money was power, and the Yales had more than the rest of the realm combined. It was truly a shame that they had bothered with politics and stayed in their dukedom.

''Your daughter seems like a gentle little lady, isn't she? Easy to love, quick to jest. But are you sure she can thrive here? The capital is no place for an innocent girl like her?''

''I suggest you be very careful about what you're about to say, Marchioness. Or House Kale might end up bankrupt at the very best.''

It was just the reaction Elenda expected. Duke Talfryn loved his daughter. He had sheltered her from the world, from the hateful looks Southerners received, from the way women were called harlots and the men savages – at best, of course. He had never told her how the nobles called the Southerners 'sand people' as a way to mock their skin colour and imply they were all identical. Elenda had seen it right away. It was refreshing to meet someone with a genuine heart and did her best to play a game she knew nothing about to make her family proud. Alas, the world cared little for good hearts. How long until this sweet little girl got her heart broken by reality? She had a bright mind; it would be such a shame! But Elenda would make good use of this, of course. Duke Talfryn loved his daughter, he wanted her safe. And Elenda could offer that. She could ensure that no one ever disrespected lady Maela unless they wished to be Elenda's enemy. Which, in high society, was akin to suicide unless they crawled at the queen's feet.

''I meant no disrespect. Only that I can help her. We both know the way your people are treated here. Your daughter is a lady and as such, her appearance and manners will be twice more criticised that if she had been born a man. As Duke of the South, you may teach her how to rule over subjects and manage her lands. But you cannot teach her to wield her words like a sword and wear her manners like an armour. I've talked to her, and I know she can become good at this game. I can protect her from the humiliations other lords and ladies would put her through.''

''And how are you so certain that you might be of any help of her, let alone protect her from people she has yet to meet?'' he asked coldly.

''I am the Darling of the Realm'', Elenda stated proudly. ''Any girl I take under my wing is bound to be treated with utmost respect. This is something that will help her forever, especially when she will become Lady of Pearlforest. The other lords will look down on her because she's a girl, but I'll teach her to put them in their place. Queen Neve, however, is a Blackstone from the North, and they've never like the South. She would treat you as a subordinate and your daughter as non-existent. I want you to be our ally. When my son takes the throne, your son will become a prime candidate for a post as a minister. We'll help integrate the South more and more in Aruhel, so that you're not called savages despite providing almost all the kingdom's resources.''

Duke Talfryn remained silent, but it was alright. He needed some time to think about her words and offers. If he gave an answer right away, it would too fast. She only needed an answer by the time of the tourney. Neve would use the festivities as her own declaration of war, and Elenda needed to be ready for whatever the queen would throw at her. She glanced at her sons, who had trouble hiding their anxiety. Parts of her wished she hadn't taken them with her for this negotiation, but she knew it needed to be done. They needed to learn and watching her negotiate was the best way. Theory wasn't enough anymore; time was against them.

''I won't give you any answer just yet, my lady. As you can imagine, I must give this potential alliance some thought. Nonetheless, I'm more than pleased with this discussion'', the duke finally said.

Elenda was able to stop a bright smile from appearing on her face at the last second. It was perfect. He was pleased with their talk, which meant he had all but openly agreed to an alliance. Her father, who was busy trying to get the central lords to side with them, would be more than pleased with this news. And of course, with the Yales on their side, Elenda knew that many other lords would follow. As much as the Northerners hated the Southerners, the realm needed them, and many lords wouldn't take the risks of becoming House Yale's enemies.

''I'm glad our exchange pleased you, my lord. We will leave you to your thoughts, then. We have already taken too much of your time.''

''Allow me to see you out'', he said, offering her his arm as he got up.

''It would be my pleasure.''

''Mother, will Duke Talfryn agree to this alliance?'' Helio asked as they climbed into the carriage.

''Of course,'', Elenda replied, fanning herself. ''He all but did already.''

''And I'm surprised he did. We didn't offer much, considering what he'll do for us'', Vale snarked. ''Aren't you afraid he'll change his mind eventually and run back to his beloved South? I mean, as soon as he gives the King his vote, he won't have to stay in the capital.''

''He won't. Our alliance with the Yales will be strong, don't worry.''

''What makes you so certain? Promising an eventual minister seat to a kid who's around two and protecting my daughter from arseholes wouldn't be enough to sway me. He could just send her home.''

''If I wanted to sway you, I'd offer you wine and find you a new paramour'', she told him coldly. ''When you want to control and manipulate someone, you need to use their weak point. Duke Talfryn has no need for money or glory. He's the head of an Ancient House, the richest of the continent. I have nothing material to give him that he can't get himself. However, I have the means to give his daughter weapons he doesn't have and his sons a position of prestige no Southerners ever dreamt of having'', she then explained. ''Tell me, what would you give him? What do you have but he does not?''

Vale studied her for a while, most likely searching for any crack in her mask that would give away her true thoughts. Unfortunately for him, he wouldn't find any. He never had, and he never would. She hadn't been come the Darling of the Realm for nothing. Lying, cajoling, and charming others had always come naturally to her. Thankfully, her father had been smart enough to nurture her talents instead of selling her to some fat lord as a broodmare. She wished her sons had inherited her cunning nature, but sadly, they hadn't. Helio might be still become better at manipulation in time, but Vale was a lost cause. He had a sharp mind, but no desire to use it for anything that wasn't gambling. No matter. She wouldn't put him on the throne anyway. In the end, he settled for openly asking her.

''What's your real plan to keep the Yales with us?''

''You don't need to know just yet'', Elenda smiled.

It wasn't the real reason, of course. She didn't care if Vale knew or not, because he had no honour and cared even less for backstabbing. The problem was Helio. Her sweet Helio was too much of a good child to be told the darkest parts of her plan. She would tell him one day, but not yet. She didn't want him to weigh them down with his chivalric heart. For him to become king, they needed to do dirty, ugly things. It was fine by Elenda. She cared little for one more sin so long as it served her ambitions. She never should have put them aside during her sons' childhoods. If she had planned more efficiently, Helio would already be the Crown Prince, and Neve would be six feet underground. Oh well. Dwelling on the past was useless and wouldn't get her anywhere.

Elenda sighed as she looked out the window. The Yale mansion was on the outskirt of the city, closer to the king's woods than the other mansions in the capital. It made sense, as it had been built much later than the others, and the Yales preferred the God of Woods instead of the God of Embers, the god favoured by the rest of Aruhel. As she watched the woods disappear from view, she thought of the little lady, Maela. She had been quite the discovery, a rough diamond that only needed to be polished. It would take time, but Elenda was patient. She didn't mind spending time investing in something as long as she knew it was worth it. And being the mentor of the future lady of Pearlforest was absolutely worth it. The girl already had a song written about her, that the commoners sang during birth in the hopes of having a child blessed like she had been. As far as Elenda was concerned, the little lady wasn't blessed. The South rarely faced bad weather, but they did have thunderstorms from time to time.

But it didn't matter, in the end. What people believed was more important than the truth, and people believed that the gods had celebrated the girl's birth by sending the sun for her. Elenda would make sure to use this properly. With a song about her birth, Maela Yale was meant to become the new Darling of the Realm, the girl that everyone would fight for. Despite being a Southerner, she would be invited to every party in the capital, and wherever she would go, she would sing the praises of her sons, and Elenda would have Helio attend as her escort. They would make a dashing couple! A shame they couldn't be married, as both hailed from Ancient Houses, and it was impossible for two members of different Ancient Houses to have a child. Mixing the magic in their bloods in a child would prove too much for the baby, and only a miscarriage would await them. It was the way things were. Not that Elenda minded, of course. It allowed powerless people like her to enter the Ancient Houses and enjoy their legendary prestige.

Maela Yale needed only one more thing to become the most desired guest in the capital. A tragedy. The girl had been blessed with happiness her whole life and as much as people would love to meet Lady Dawnbringer, the fascination would die down. No, Elenda needed that fascination for her to keep going. And what better than a tragedy? Especially if it served Elenda's interest. Her thoughts drifted to Duke Talfryn. He was a competent duke with a sharp mind. What a shame it would be to kill him. But alas, she needed to get rid of him so that he wouldn't oppose any of her decision. And with Maela Yale as the new duchess, it would be much easier to control when and how House Yale would wield its power. She would make the girl her ward to ensure that she wouldn't return South and would petition Rolan to be the girl's regent during her stay in the capital. It would take some efforts, of course, but Elenda didn't mind.

However, she wouldn't kill Duke Talfryn just yet. First, she needed the alliance between her faction and House Yale to be firmly established. Then, she needed to make sure that Maela fully trusted her. This part wouldn't be hard. The girl loved songs of knights and noble ladies. Elenda only needed to play the role of the Darling of the Realm, and the girl would soon eat in the palm of her hands. The hardest part would be, of course, to kill Duke Talfryn. Assassins would be useless. Although the duke had never illustrated himself by his martial prowess and the South in general had a weak army, he was a member of the Ancient House. Only a mage or someone similarly blessed could face him. What assassin could kill a man who moved faster than the wind itself, faster than the eye could follow? No, she would need to use poison. But poison was tricky. She needed one powerful enough to be uncurable, but common enough that it wouldn't be traced back to her or her allies.

It would be quite a nightmare to organise, but it was worth it. Making Maela loyal to her and the new ruler of the South ensured her that the dukedom would follow Elenda no matter what. If there was one thing the Southerners were known for, it was their loyalty to each other. Because Elenda would obviously blame the poisoning on the queen's faction, it would further the South's support of her faction. Out of love for their Lady Dawnbringer and their former lord, the Southerners would pour their strength in defeating the queen. Perhaps they would ask for her head, even! Elenda would be more than happy to give it to them, of course.

Anything for her dearest allies.