Yes

"I swear by my crown, and my honor, that what you say here will never be spoken of by me to any ears but those at this table," you tell her.

Duncan nods, and says, "I make the same vow, Queen Alayna. My word is my bond."

Sir Benedicht steps forward, and says, "I am Sir Benedicht of House Degermark, Sworn Protector of the Crown. Nothing said here will be heard by me; nothing said here will be repeated by me, upon pain of ****. I have spoken."

Queen Alayna nods, takes a breath, and continues.

"I was **** to leave most of the common people behind, those who had sought shelter with me and my knights in the wood," Alayna says. "It remains my great shame... I still know not what their fate may have been, if they were captured by Lord Eduoard or if they still run free in the forests. But for what needed to be done, I could take only men and women who were strong and capable fighters; I could not be burdened by children or elders. With but a dozen knights, their squires, and three swordmaidens, I traveled north and east from Moselle into the Germanic lands.

"I had devised an idea, one which my knights and ladies thought mad, but even the most cautious among them conceded that it would only be with a mad plan that we might hope to succeed. When I was young, I reveled in the tales of brave knights and men-at-arms, battling against impossible odds and coming to the aid of the helpless and weak. I imagined joining such men on their righteous quests; indeed, it is why I took up the sword at an early age. As we traveled into lands which were overrun by petty warlords and bands of miscreants who preyed upon defenseless people, I thought of how the heroes of my childhood would have fought to set things right in such places. I even imagined, in a foolish moment, how magnificent it would be if I were to assume such a mantle, and fight for the innocent people who could not fight for themselves. I thought of how songs might even be sung of us in the manner that they have been sung of Sir Galahad and Saint George. As I say, a foolish fantasy... but then I realized that in such a fantasy might lie our salvation. For what if such songs were indeed sung of a Warrior Queen, one who fights for justice and righteousness, for the freedom of not just her own people but for all, who ultimately sought to reclaim her home which had been stolen from her? And then, if those who heard the songs could then see her with their own eyes, would they not rally to her cause, perhaps even join her in her quest?

Duncan's eyes have grown more and more incredulous as Alayna has spoken, and it seems he can finally no longer hold back. "Queen Alayna, are you saying that all the songs and stories told of your prowess in battle have been no more than minstrel's tales?"

"In the beginning, that was indeed all they were," Alayna says with no hint of shame. "We used our stolen coin to pay bards and minstrels to compose songs of the mighty Warrior Queen, who waged a great campaign across the continent to reclaim her home. They went forth then to tell stories of her invincibility, to sing of how her hair burned with flame and how swords would shatter against her naked skin. And they would tell of how the Warrior Queen would never hesitate to take up the cause of the poor and downtrodden, to champion those who had suffered at the hands of cruel masters and seen their homes destroyed by the warlords. For two years, we allowed the stories to spread throughout the land, until we began to hear them retold to us in even greater glory. All the while, I studied the ways of war: the accounts of Alexander, the treatise of Sun-Tzu, the tactics of the ancient Spartans and the Roman Legionnaires. And I learned to wield the greatsword, how to fight from the back of a war-horse, how to command men in battle.

"Finally, we were ready to bring the legend to life. All our coin which remained, we spent raising a small band of mercenaries; we knew we would have but one chance. We found a city besieged by invaders from the east, the remnant of a Mongol horde. I rode into the town with my knights at my back, and the people were struck with awe as we passed; they had clearly heard the songs which we had spread, and now to see the Warrior Queen with their own eyes was like nothing they had even imagined.

"As I had hoped, one who was bolder than the rest told me of their plight and beseeched me for aid. I answered only that they should look to the east on the following sunrise, and left them with that. I felt keenly aware that all of our hopes had been pinned on this one cast of the die, and that we had to win not only victory, but a triumph so decisive as to surpass our own songs. There could be no tales of the Warrior Queen's defeat, or we would lose all.

"The next dawn, we rode into true battle for the first time against the horde's encampment. We attacked not from the city itself, but from a neighboring hill, and the Sun came up behind us as we charged the foe. I rode at the vanguard, and presented myself just as the stories told - unarmored and unclothed, a copper-red cape my only adornment, wielding a great two-handed broadsword and screaming as a she-demon. And down to the last of them, our adversaries scattered before us without even attempting to fight back.

"When we rode back into the village, I cast the leader of the horde at the feet of the village elders. They looked warily upon me, for they feared they had but traded one oppressor for another far more terrible... but I said that we sought neither conquest nor payment, asking only that they spread the word of the Warrior Queen and sing her songs to those who had not heard. The only spoils we took were the weapons and armor left by the horde, for we even gave back to the villagers that which had been stolen from them. The result was just as we had hoped, for the people of the village practically fell to their knees in gratitude and showed my soldiers far greater hospitality than we ever would have enjoyed had we demanded it as payment; and when we left them the next day, not only did most of our mercenaries join my cause, we had added half a dozen from the village to our ranks - even two warriors from the horde! And so, fight of the Warrior Queen was truly begun."

Queen Alayna pauses for a moment, sipping at her tea.

"That is... a most extraordinary account," Duncan says at last.

"It was the first of many such battles," Alayna says. "Not all were so easily won, but when our foes stood their ground, we showed them that we fought as boldly as they had heard in our songs. Among the people who we helped there were always those eager to come with us - but even when we were but a small army, we took only the very best, both men and women. Because of the stories, and because we always strove to spare the innocent, we found ourselves welcomed by the people almost wherever we went, and so we never wanted for supplies or shelter. We did not have to attack and loot defenseless villages; the people would gladly share with us, just for the chance to see the Warrior Queen in the flesh. But through it all, we have never lost sight of our true aim, the end which we seek; the retaking of Castle Moselle. Before long, the stories of the Warrior Queen came to the ears of Lord Eduoard and King Olivier, and I am sure they know of whom the songs are truly sung; we have met in battle those who were sent to try and stop our advance. Despite their efforts, we have fought, we have persisted, and we have advanced... and every time I have drawn my sword, I have done so with the full knowledge that the battle must end in victory lest we lose all we have ever fought for. Every time, we cast the same die that we did at the first; and every time we have won the day. Two moons ago, for the first time in ten years, I saw with my own eyes the turrets of Castle Moselle. There is but one last battle which stands between me and that which I have spent half my life pursuing."

"And what stops you now?" you ask, breaking the silence that follows Alayna's last words.

"My army has never besieged a castle," she says. "We have always engaged our foes in the open, whether forest or field. If we wait out the defenders at Castle Moselle, not only will it allow time for King Olivier to send his army against us, but at best we will win back a castle bereft of supplies and defenses. But even that is not what concerns me most of all.

"I know how to win at war," Alayna continues. "But what we will soon be faced with is the need to win the peace. It will do me no good to reclaim my home if I still have an army which thirsts for conquest, and King Olivier as my enemy. My claim to the castle must be recognized; my army must be disbanded; and as much as it churns my stomach, I must strike a truce with King Olivier. And this has brought me here, to Elyssia."

"What is it you want from Elyssia, Queen Alayna?" Duncan asks.

"You have among your people brilliant engineers and master smiths. With their skills, I can mount not just a siege upon Castle Moselle; I can attack the castle in ****, and defeat Eduoard's defenders quickly. It is also vital that I claim victory with as little blood spilled as possible, for many of those who walk the walls of the castle are my own people, and it is not their fault that they must now serve Eduoard. If our attack is both unorthodox and swift, and it is clear at the outset that victory will be ours, then more of them will surrender rather than fight.

"Once the castle is taken and Eduoard is defeated, I will send word to King Olivier that I have resumed my seat and that I offer him an alliance with Elyssia. He will value that much more than Eduoard's favor, and he will surely restore the castle to my house in order to secure this allegiance. Finally, as I will no longer be able to support a standing army of several hundred men and women, I would have some of them settle in Elyssia."

"You ask a great deal, your Majesty," Duncan says.

"And I am prepared to offer a great deal. Elyssia needs defenders, you must realize this. I am offering the very blood of my people to keep your kingdom safe - and it is not a matter of if you are attacked, but when. With the word out that my army defends this city, however, you will find that many of your would-be attackers will seek out other targets. And should any come here seeking war nonetheless, then I swear that they shall indeed find the sword of the Warrior Queen herself raised against them."

"All of this is dependent upon your swift victory at Castle Moselle, however," you point out. "If that campaign should fail, then Elyssia will gain not an ally in King Olivier, but rather a powerful enemy - one with whom we have no quarrel now, and who we are in no way prepared to fight."

"I have yet to be defeated in battle, King Xavier," Alayna says, and then she stands up. "I thank you for your hospitality. Please think upon what I have said, but do not take too long. The bulk of my army waits just outside the northern border of Eduoard's lands, and they cannot remain encamped there for ever. Within the next turn of the Moon, we must attack or retreat. Which course we take depends upon you, King Xavier... as does the future of your own Kingdom, if I have foreseen true."