Linger just a bit longer

"Of course, I have heard many rumors about you as well," you say to Alayna, "some of which I have by now dismissed, some of which I see are true, and some of which I still wonder about. Would you care to hear of them?"

"By all means," she says with a smile.

"First, you are rumored to be a woman of magnificent beauty and strength, which I will say with no intent of flattery has been completely confirmed."

Alayna nods simply, as one who has obviously heard this before.

"Most other rumors concern your behavior on the battlefield, and here is where the stories become contradictory. Some say that you are a vicious she-demon, filled with blood-lust, whose army leaves a burned wasteland in its wake. Others say that you wage war with precision and that you take great care to spare the innocent, even to the point of jeopardizing your own victory. The one consistency is that you have never been defeated, nor even fought to a stalemate; you have never known aught but victory."

Alayna's expression does not change until this last statement, when her eyes flicker for just for a moment. You wonder if perhaps she has suffered a defeat on the battlefield, perhaps recently enough that word has yet to spread.

"I imagine that the truth lies somewhere in between," you continue, as if you had not noticed her brief reaction. "But, although we have not spent much time together, I would like to think I am perceptive enough to know when I am in the presence of a ruthless killer without conscience or mercy. Whatever it is that you fight for, I am convinced that you do not do battle for its own sake, nor do you take delight in the killing of your foes. Which leads me to a question which has been on my mind since I heard of your coming to my kingdom."

"And that is?"

"What is it that you DO fight for, Alayna? Why are you the Warrior Queen?"

She is silent for a moment, and then says, "It is strange... I cannot recall ever having to actually explain it to someone before. Everyone I have ever encountered either knows already, or they are satisfied with what they believe they know. I could tell you in a few words, but I ask you to please keep in mind that simple explanations are by necessity incomplete, and there is more to it than what I say now."

"Of course."

"I have told you that by birth, the highest title I could claim is that of a Duchess; and that my family lost their lands when I was a child," she says. "Even at the time, I felt the loss was unjust, that the one who assumed control over my family's holdings did so dishonestly, taking clear advantage of my grandfather whose mind had declined in his later years. Our sovereign ruler was King Olivier -" she pauses for a moment, looking to you to see if you recognize the name; when she sees that you do, she continues. "When I came of age, I petitioned the King to restore our lands, but Olivier had no love for my grandfather, and in any event he felt insulted at the very idea that a mere woman would come before him concerning such a matter. He dismissed me with barely a nod. I realized at that moment that my only recourse would be to recover my lands by **** of arms. It has not been easy to raise my army, nor has it been without cost, but the man who lords over my ancestral home has no right to it." Alayna's tone turns to steel at these last words, and the glare in her eye is not one you would wish to see turned in your direction.

"Who is this man who has usurped your rightful place?" you ask.

"His name is Eduoard of Bernhoeft."

This time, the name is unfamiliar. "Is he a warrior as well?"

"A schemer," Alayna says, venom in her tongue. "A trickster. The spawn of the Devil himself, insofar as I can see. But he is no warrior, he is too great a coward to fight his own battles!"

"But then, how did -"

"King Xavier, it would be unmannerly of me to keep you from your guests any longer," Alayna says suddenly. "I am ready to return to the feast now."

Her interruption and authoritative tone take you aback for a moment - it has been years since anyone spoke in such a manner to you! "As you wish, Queen Alayna," you reply, keeping your own tone of voice light. You offer your arm, and she accepts it with easy grace. "Indeed, if we remain away for much longer, we will delay the start of the first course, and I would not wish to incur the wrath of the Sultan in that manner."

The walk back to the Great Hall is done in silence. You cannot think of anything you said which might have caused offense, and indeed Alayna does not behave as one who feels insulted... she simply seems to have said all she intends to say, for the moment. Perhaps this is a calculated move on her part, but if so it is hard to see the advantage. Surely, if she believes her cause is justified, she should have no reason not to tell you the circumstances surrounding her family's fall and her subsequent rebellion.

When you re-enter the Great Hall, Duncan looks at you with obvious relief, and then somewhat sternly; it's clear that he feels you were gone too long. You have only a moment to kiss Alayna's fingers before you are swept up into conversation with Sir Reginald, and with a quiet sigh of resignation you allow him to talk at you for the remaining time until everyone is seated for the feast.