Crown Princess Leonore, heir to the queendom of Dranath, likes women, obviously. The Queen Mother Carmilla marries her off to Sir Gabriel, obviously.
So when she finds out Sir Gabriel is a woman...
Dranath; queendom of mystique, bordered by jealous...
On the morning of the day Governor Nahu and her band of merry men were set to leave, the governor managed to corner Leonore when she was alone. Most appalling to her was that Nahu had the gall to seek her audience still.
"Princess Leonore," she said, stepping into the study. "I would like a conversation with you before I depart."
"Governor," she said, smoothing out her stack of unopened letters and shifted to cover the one she was writing. For good measure, she set a hefty tome entitled Raham: Culture and Communication on top of the page.
Outside, barely visible from the high windows, Gabriel was tending to Leonore's horse in the courtyard. There also parked the convoy of vehicles from the Aurunian delegation, waiting to leave.
"Let me be brief," said Nahu, and she smiled. "I take it you've had quite enough of me?"
Leonore frowned. The governor continued, "You'll seek me out, soon enough. How's your marriage?"
Nahu was looking at the ring at Leonore's finger. She said, "Renewed my vows last night."
"I'm sure. I had wanted to save you the trouble, Your Highness. It's difficult to be in the place where the sea meets the sky."
Leonore paused. "Speak plainly."
"The Hierstag will come for you. Your queen is indisposed, and your losses are tolling. Already he marched on your north. I came here for Irve, yes, but also to see what Irve can do."
Nahu carried on. "This is not a stronghold. This is barely a war camp. If you are your mother's daughter, then you've already failed her. If I had been the invading force, you'd be gone in six weeks. I can help you, but we're past doing things out of the goodness of our hearts, aren't we?"
Leonore had listened quietly, and felt her blood rise. "War, to you, has something that has always happened 'over there'. But it's here, at my doorstep, and I will not take the counsel of someone who would sooner shift our land out from under us. I'm not giving you that."
"You're quick to anger," said Nahu, smiling. "A lesser man would keep silent, but I'll tell you. Hold your tongue, Your Highness, because someone just might face you to a wall and have you charge at it headfirst."
Before she could respond, the governor said, "At any rate, if you seek an alliance—for whatever reason—Nahu is amicable to an agreement."
The governor slipped off her ring and placed it on her desk. "Here. A token of my trust."
"It's a signet ring, Leonore, with my crest. If you were to marry me, I'd give you a much better one," she said, when Leonore glared at it and at her. "Send me a letter with the seal pressed with the ring. You'll find use for it, one of these days."
With that, the governor left her alone with her thoughts, and Leonore watched the dignitary and her attendants ride off from the window.
She turned her attention to her half-written letter, lifting the book on top to discover the ink had smudged on the cover. Leonore muttered in irritation as she tried to rub the ink off, and finally tossed it aside to finish the letter.
The letter, now sealed, was handed to the lightest messenger, who was then given the sturdiest horse and quick provisions.
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