You retreat to the private study, where your advisors join you, to discuss the situation on the five maidens, and the known world.

"As you wish, Cielina." You reply, then turn to Lord Gilbert. "Gilbert, please bring the ladies to the guest chambers, and make sure there are sufficient guards there to help maintain peace between them. After that, come and see me in the royal study--that goes for all of my advisors."

"By your will, your highness." Gilbert acknowledges your request.

"I shall await you in the royal study, your highness." Vessa replies.

"I will ensure their escort of guards and advisors have proper accommodations and protection, your highness." General Garrett adds in.

You get everyone to leave the court for the time being, making sure everyone is gone, before you retreat to the private study. Vessa is already there, looking at the updated map of the known world. It takes a few minutes after your arrival, for Gilbert and Garrett to join you. Akina....or Duchess Akina of Kantaur--for her actions to adapt a bastard son of the previous Duke that dies in the demon invasion in Phebis--joins you a minute later. With a deep sigh, you take a seat, feeling a bit overwhelmed to have not only Cielina insert herself into the bridal search, but to also have Princess Arinyagimli of Elethiel come into the picture.

"So my choice of 3 potential suitors suddenly becomes 5." You tell your advisors. "Even to this day, we still get little or no word from the Elves of Elethiel, even from their few traders. At any rate, are the maidens safely in the guest room."

"Aye, they are." Gilbert replies.

"I've discreetly put a scrying device in the guest room," Akina adds in, "so that we may listen in, in the event things become heated between them."

"I will be honest, your highness." Gilbert speaks next. "Both Thessia Island and Elethiel gave little or no advance notice that both Queen Cielina, and Princess Arinyagimli would enter into your search for our next queen. Do you find it odd that they would suddenly make such a move?"

"Queen Cielina of the Thessian Amazons did state that she would be able to travel to Motania," you reply, "as soon as her youngest sister came of age, and can rule the tribe in her place, in the interim. You are right about Elethiel, with such a sudden move to send one of their princesses here. So far, there's no outside proof of a demonic blight in their forests."

"I still have my contacts with the Coven of Magi, your highness." Vessa tells you. "All of the mages that specialize in earthen magic have sensed a growing demonic taint coming from Elethiel lately. That is why I have been trying to warn you about the increased chance of some Elves emerging from the forest, and yet you were too focused on the other four candidates."

"All of them have their strengths and weaknesses." You tell them, trying to shift the focus to the five maidens. "Each one of them can bring a boon to Itheria, and while any decision will please some of the people, it will draw the ire of others."

"I know that Duke Magus and many of the nobles will appreciate it, if you take Devona's hand in marriage." Garrett tells you. "Had it not been for the bravery of the Frost Knights and The King's Own regimen, we would have lost many more soldiers in the demon invasion."

"Aye, Devona would seem a good fit, if you want to uphold tradition, your highness." Gilbert tells you. "However, many of our young women have become inspired by the bravery of the Thessian Amazons, as well as some of the women warriors that have visited Itheria since the raid and invasion in Phebis. Queen Cielina could channel that into giving more women a chance to become soldiers."

"Yet such a decision could draw the ire of many traditionalists." Vessa replies. "We nearly averted disaster, when some of the Counts and Earls in the Kantaur region attempted to rebel in the wake of Akina becoming their new Duchess. Princess Arinyagimli may have emerged so suddenly, but we already have knowledge in driving back demons. That knowledge and our numbers would do wonders for our Elven neighbors."

"I would choose either Arinyagimli, or Cielina myself." Akina speaks out. "Either of those two would anger some of the traditionalists, but they may be offset by their brethren boosting our forces."

"What about Fiona and Khalisah?" You ask your advisors.

"The opportunity to acquire new technologies from the Distant East would help us greatly, especially in fighting demons and rogue dragons." Garrett replies. "I am positive that Princess Khalisah would ensure it happens. It may give us a better chance to control what is going on in both the Kirsten Crags, and The Great Forest."

"The wool and cotton from Gaelica have already proven their worth in the winter season, as well as in the Frostpeaks." Gilbert speaks next. "It is why a good number of our shepherds have attempted to get their hands on their kind of sheep. Fiona may be a warrior herself, but her mother has taught her much about mercantilism. Having another viable export would be of great benefit to us."

"All of the choices are great, which is why they are the last ones standing in my search." You tell them. "However, all of this makes my final decision even tougher."

"Especially when you consider you have courted Devona, Fiona, and Khalisah many times since our return from Phebis, and you began your search." Vessa replies. "We do nae even know if Cielina has already given you a daughter, since she brought no bastard son with her."

"The Amazon spies in Ferelden have been tight-lipped about it." Akina adds in.

You are about to say something else, when a knock comes to the door. After some verification from your advisors, you allow the person waiting on the other side of the door to enter. It's one of the other spies under Akina's command, and the wolf-like beastwoman comes in pretty fast, catching her breath, as if she has been running over to the royal study.

"Report." You ask the spy.

"Your highness!" The spy tells you. "The maidens have gotten into a verbal conflict with each other!"

Vessa, who had a good feeling that it would happen, quickly pulls a crystal out of her pouch, and places it on the table. Then she casts a spell that activates the crystal's abilities, allowing you and the advisors to see what the scrying device inside of the guest room is seeing and hearing. You can now see the five maidens--Cielina, Devona, Fiona, Khalisah, and Arinyagimli, having quite the disagreement on something.

"...and had your spies in Phebis warned you about the presence of Demons in Motania, before you decided to raid the hub kingdom," Devona tells Cielina in a rather angry tone, "my brethren would not have died in the demon invasion!"

"If you and your sister are wise, now that you're trading with Itheria and Phebis, Cielina," Khalisah add in, "you will stop raiding other ships, especially Al-Anashab ships!"

"My tribe is phasing out our raiding traditions!" Cielina reply. "Princess Khalisah, are you even aware that some of your naval merchants are shipping or smuggling slaves out of your domain? Those women I found on one of those ships my tribe raided years ago were malnourished, and not treated kindly by those men!"

"So says the woman whose...sisters...treat men like slaves!" Arinyagimli tells Cielina.

"We Amazons do not treat men like slaves, Arin!" Cielina replies to the High Elfess. "They have rights in our matriarch society, for they are key to our ability to reproduce. How do you Elves even know what goes on outside of your forest?"

"By magical means, Amazon." Arinyagimli replies back. "We Elves are attuned to nature, and the earth 'She' gives to us. We communicate with our gods regularly, to help us understand what goes on in this world. You Amazons have much to learn about what how things work outside of your home islands."

"Should you return home, Cielina," Khalisah tells her, "you would be wise to tell the other tribes to do the same exact thing you are doing with your own tribe."

"And if they don't listen," Devona adds in, "make them listen!"

"I know I would, lass." Fiona speaks out, twirling a curl of her red hair. "All of us have so much to gain in marrying King Bryce. Cielina and Devona, you have the brawns. Arin and Khalisah, you have the brains. Brains and brawns are nice, lasses, but do you have wits like I do? Being witty can help get you out of tight situations!"

"Wits can only get you so far, Fiona." Devona replies. "Maybe your people would have stopped raiding the Goldfields sooner, had the now-dead Duke burn your people's ships, while he had the chance."

"So says the Frost Knight, whose own brethren just can't keep their homeland from being infested by Goblins." Fiona tells Devona. "Sooner or later, one of those leaders is going to get smart, and call for assistance from...say...Dark Elves."

"Do not mention The Drow!" Arinyagimli bursts out at Fiona. "One Drow House has already aligned themselves with the Demons. My father will not let another house join them!"

"Maybe now is the time you Elves start working with Humans," Khalisah tells the High Elf, "instead of isolating yourselves from them!"

You watch it escalate to where it becomes dangerously close to a physical confrontation. Fortunately, the royal guards present there move in quickly, breaking the five women up, when they start to grab at each other's hair. You let out a small sigh, letting Vessa dispel the magic, and then you look up at your advisors.

"This may be more difficult than I thought." You tell them. "They all know what is at stake here, and they all seem willing to compete for my hand and heart in marriage."

"They will definitely try to sneak into your bed at night," Vessa tells you, "or get you into a secluded place, before they try to mate with you, especially Cielina and Arin."

"What will you do, your highness?" Gilbert asks you. "There has been times where some of your ancestors had multiple wives, but they were out of necessity. I do nae know if the situation we have near or outside our borders necessitate the need to have more than one queen."

"Many of our nobles will object to you taking more than queen, your highness." Garrett adds in. "I do nae believe you can take them all, because of the differences the maidens appear to have with each other."

"Nay." You reply. "I do nae believe I can handle all five of them at the same time. Maybe two or three, but no more."

"It is ultimately your decision, your highness." Vessa tells you. "The time for you to start building your family, and rebuild your family's dynasty, draws near."