Long Suffer the King

XVIII

A/N: Sorry for the short update, been having some trouble with the plot moving along!

"You want to send Citlali out to gather other sorcerers and possibly lose allies just to make amends with those who use magic?" Joan stands in front of a table with a map of Anivard laid out inside her tent. Ophelia stands on the opposite side, with Citlali standing beside her. Klaus stands off to the side, hand on his hilt. He's wearing the old armor the encampment has collected over the years.

"This would make us have a fighting chance against my brother's enforcements he's sending any day now towards us." Ophelia tries to explain. "Are the men and women we have around us not good enough?" Klaus says. She glares at him. "I'm speaking up for the people I have trained around. I mean no disrespect, m'lady. I'm on your side."

"He's right, we are on your side, Ophelia. But you need to think rationally about this." Joan adds. She leans her hands against the table and looks down at the map.

"I am thinking rationally. Is this not how a queen should think? We need to use all available resources that we're given." she glances over at Klaus, who is intently staring at his boots.

"I don't think you understand what we do if we bring in sorcerers. These people are loyal to a fault but breaking laws and siding with the unfamiliar, that's new for them. It's not easy."

"So let me get this straight," Citlali speaks up, "you won't let me gather more reinforcements who have had to cope with powers they can't control in the shadows, hiding, which isn't easy at all, just because you're worried of losing a few allies who can't understand Ophelia has to do whatever it takes to get her throne back?" she clenches her fists and steps forward.

Joan doesn't answer, she stands back up and sighs. "Citlali, I think you should go-"

"No! Why should I? So you can't hear the truth? We have been restrained for hundreds of years. I want to be apart of this change. I want my brothers and sisters to be apart of it too." Citlali interrupts. Joan glances at Ophelia. "You want her to go by herself and gather a handful of her people?"

"So they're my people now. What am I, the representative of all the sorcerers?"

"Citlali, back down." Ophelia grabs her wrist and pulls her back. Citlali sighs and bows her head. "My apologies, lady Joan."

"Why don't you let your queen speak for herself?" Joan snaps back. Ophelia looks up at Joan. "I want a few of us to go with Citlali and find others. If you give us a month, we can conjure up a few more allies. And I can speak with the encampment, they'll learn to accept magic." she lets the silence envelope them for a few moments before bowing. "I'll leave you to make your decision."

Citlali gives her a smug grin when they leave the tent together. "I think you just made history, princess."

"Not yet." she looks at her as they walk past the tents. "I need to know that I'm doing the right thing and this isn't a mistake."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Yes." Ophelia dreads the answer already. Citlali crosses her arms and stops at the edge of the tents. Ophelia turns and frowns.

"I don't really know, m'lady."

Ophelia takes a horse out to visit her uncle later that day. He's sitting outside, his servant standing quietly beside him.

"If it isn't my favorite rebel!" he shouts out as she stops her horse and jumps off. Ophelia rolls her eyes. "Uncle."

"What did I tell you about calling me uncle?" he stands up from his seat and adjusts his tunic. Ophelia stops ten paces from him and crosses her arms. "I'll call you what I please. Can we talk?"