War Meeting.

Madeleine moves into the castle. At first, you keep your distance. As she, Donald, Kara and Seki meet to discuss strategy, you pull Benjamin Swain, Madeleine's former tutor and current favourite, aside and strike up a conversation.

"An honour to cross your path once again, your majesty." the moustachioed bard remarks. Of course, you think to yourself, if being in your presence was such an honour, he simply could've avoided abdicating from his role in the Lagan Admiralty, an Itherian vassal, to travel the world.

“Your lady's presence here is most unexpected.” you state.

“You're telling me, your majesty.” Swain responds. “Her poor, ailing father and Chancellor Bistodeau took it the worst, of course. Forbade her from coming, cut off her allowance, warned of severe punishments for any lord who would follow her to war.”

“If they cut off her allowance, how did she hire the Oro Elide?” you ask.

“I think you're underestimating just how... wealthy Sinnabarrow is, majesty.” Swain says, smiling softly. “Madeleine had a certain amount of money squirreled away King Pierre could not confiscate. That and a few loans from wealthy backers who hope their generosity will be repaid when Madeleine's time on Copieux's throne comes, was enough to engage the sell-swords. At least for now.”

“We'll need them. These Deanians are fearsome adversaries.” you admit.

“In my travels, I had the sense to avoid Dean. Little good comes out of that land, majesty. That said, the exploits of this new king of theirs are well known in Sinnabarrow. I do wonder if perhaps Madeleine's antipathy towards magic has been the driving factor of her coming up here.” Swain notes.

“We're all glad to see her.” you tell him, a half-truth at best. Glad of her gold and manpower, at least.

“Tell me, Benjamin, you resigned your inheritance to live a life of the arts, away from the battlefield, are you at all upset your patron's ridden to war?” You ask. Swain simply laughs.

“Madeleine's hardly riding a stallion into the throng of battle, is she? Her contributions to this conflict are primarily financial, give or take a few errant lords. That and she intends to use her talents for the sciences to save lives and bring the war to a quicker conclusion.”

“Do you honestly think she'll make much difference?” you ask.

“You toured her laboratory, did you not, Majesty?” he reminds you. “The princess' mind is like a sponge, soaking up vast amounts of knowledge on more topics than most could hope to converse in. Her father's loath to admit it, but she's already developed a number of logistical and engineering improvements to Sinnabarrow's mercantile network, her ships and wagons. I'm sure once she applies her focus to siege engines and field surgery, the effects will be... dramatic.”

“With you helping her, of course.” you state.

“I merely read aloud the books the princess finds too taxing, and give her another mind to bounce her ideas off.” the bard humbly claims. You weren't entirely sure yourself, but decide not to press him on it. Let the man have his secrets.

“I should be off.” you say, after a lull in the conversation.

“And I should be overseeing the preparation of Madeleine's quarters.” Benjamin decides. “The princess is... very particular about her living arrangements, as you can imagine.”

You nod, hobbling off, before Benjamin follows after you.

“Majesty? Madeleine has spoken of you often since your visit to the palace last year. No doubt she'll seek you out in your own time, but I would advise you to take caution with her. Once spurned, the princess' affections are not easily recovered. I should know, I'm far from her first favourite.”

“Affections? I've no idea what you mean.” you slur, inwardly panicking. Perhaps you were hasty in marrying Kara? At least so suddenly, so far from home...

“Of course, majesty.” Swain says curtly. “I'll leave you to your duties, but should you ever need a cup of rum, or even a word in confidence, my door is always open.”

“Thank you, Benjamin.” you say, before retreating to your quarters.