Look around and stay clam

I look around the room as I think about the offer; it is extremely well furnished with gold-leaf trimmed chairs and tables around the wall. It all seems very foreign to the impoverished life of a priest that I am used to. Being a trading nation, my country sure does have a lot of money. Its trade routes make it a juice target for any Nation looking to make quick wealth.

I look over at the large woven map of the Confederation that is hanging just above the main entrance. Despite being a Confederation of Nations, the map has had to be remade multiple times since I was a child because the Confederation’s leadership is utterly inept at stopping internal fights. If one nation could ever acquire enough land, they could easily bully the other confederation nations into subservience, either through trade or military ****. At that moment, I’ll be honest; a greedful desire to own it all filled my body. I would have succumbed entirely to it if it weren’t for my priesthood training. As it is, I barely managed to keep my wits about me, allowing me to think about how much would need to be done to take over everything. And that is when I realize how utterly unprepared I am to accomplish such a task. My brother was training in the art of war and diplomacy while I was trained in the art of caring. It would be a while before I had the skills required even to begin undertaking such a daring act.

But this did provide me a perfect opportunity to work on my diplomacy, and to be one-hundred perfectly honest, I did need something to quench the greed that was building inside of me.

Being as sly as possible and trying not to show my novice-ness, I lower my voice and pronounce in my most Kingly voice. “If I would accept this offer, it would put a lot of risk on me.”

Beatrice’s eyes widen as she wraps her arms around Duke Franz Jacques’s left arm. “He is risking a lot for me too. He is risking alienating and even going to war against his only daughter. “

It is clear to me that my mother thought I would be a pushover and never considered me an argumentative threat, so in her arrogance, she allowed her emotions to show. This is one thing that may help me that I learned for my priestly training. Priests have no desire for worldly possession, so they would never get emotional while making the few and far between deals they had to make. As a result, they tend to get a better bargain than everyone else.

She thought getting emotional would be a way to play on my heart, but in reality, it only allowed me to control the conversation. “So he has thought this through completely, good, but I am not afforded that luxury. Our country is in an upheaval caused by the loss of its King and its future King; up till a little while ago, I was being groomed to be a priest. And now, as one of my first actions as King, you want me to agree to a marriage that would be tantamount to declare war on our neighbor.”

Beatrice squeezes Duke Franz Jacques’s arm tighter “So are you saying no.”

“No, I haven’t said no... yet.” You turn around to Dietrich to ask the man’s thoughts on the matter. “Well, my wise and most trusted adviser, what do you have to say of this?” Dietrich motioned his hand and opened his mouth, but his face told everyone that he had no true opinion. “All I would have said were already said, Sire. I am sure you have already thought about the great risk involved, so Any more opinion on the subject from my part will only serve to sway you from coming to a decision of your own.”

I shift my attention back towards the loving couple “The offer of the land has certainly made it worth the risk for my country; however, you are asking me to give away one of the last two remaining members of the royal family. You make it worth it to the royal family, and I’ll give my blessing. “

Duke Franz Jacques: “I have already offered everything I have. I certainly don’t, however, anything that would even come close to this wonderful woman.” Queen Beatrice blushes at the compliment