63 External Affairs (1/2)

Dusk deepened. Reports from downhill said that the crowd had been thinning out for a while and were still dispersing, with many who lived farther away choosing to get a head start on their long journeys home. The Queen's aides had succeeded well in their tasks, anyway. Whatever assurances and spins on events they'd told the front of the crowd, these had spread to the tail ends as almost something else entirely.

”The Queen was simply letting an adequate time pass to properly mourn the Prince.”

”The northern states were silent because they had been effectively intimidated into lying low by the swift retaliatory actions of days ago.”

”We HAVE already responded, haven't we? No need to worry we'd be seen as weak – even Lys has recognized how formidable we are.”

”Their western neighbor fell all over themselves trying to seek an alliance, that was all they're doing.”

”They'd come unasked, it was only by chance that Princess Hilde came across them – she merely did what she thought was her duty.”

”No, certainly not, that wasn't a planned meeting between two royals of marriageable ages AT ALL. How could they ever give their precious princesses to Lys, of all territories?”

On and on it had gone, the aides giving the types of answers that might best soothe inflamed emotions. ”Tell them what they want to hear,” their instructions must have been, and most who'd heard their many iterations and re-interpretations were either convinced or tired out by questioning whether they were true or not.

The ones who'd remained were those who were determined to hear something from the actual people involved. There were also those who simply wanted to stay until they've also witnessed the return procession.

Still too many, the verbal reports indicated, but at the very least, they were calmer now. As long as nothing incites them again, even the Lyseans might be able to get off lightly, in the off chance that someone comes upon them and sees through their ruse.

In time, the last broad rays of sunset disappeared and night began to descend in earnest. From where they'd gathered at an isolated spot near the white building's right corner, the Lyseans and the soldiers who'd been quietly preparing in both body and mind straightened themselves up, all but ready to leave.

Hilde also stood from the equally isolated blanket she'd been occupying with Lord Alfwin and his daughter. Funnily enough, the rest of the pair's family was still where they'd settled earlier among the other nobles, but they'd been joined there since earlier by the rest of HER family, in keeping with their show of ”unity.”

Lady Ilse must have been fully committed to this cause for her to allow even more contact between Gisela and Theodar. Then again, he did seem to be the least harmless bug among the others nearby who were circling, and his unwell mother inadvertently served as an excuse for them to turn away others seeking to approach.

Among these had been other nobles who wanted Lady Ilse to use her status as senior royal to step in and handle the situation. But from the beginning, her answer had been clear: as per her elder niece's command, the younger one was in charge and the Lord General was to be the one to pick up the slack should there be a need to.