Just Us And The Night

The Ultimatum

KIERAN

The women of Argos and Kieran sat at the table in the Great Hall. Lena twisted one of Kara's kerchiefs in her hands and stared straight ahead, lost in her thoughts.

"Daughter, this is absolute madness," Aoife said, shaking her head in disbelief. "You will not marry that horrible woman."

Tears fell down Lena's cheek despite her best efforts to remain calm.

"What choice do I have? Andrea will kill Kara if I say no. Mother, you had no right to stop the message I sent to Andrea."

"Lena, I had every right. You are queen, but I am your mother, your counselor, and a daughter of Kieran. I know what is best for this realm and it is not marrying that madwoman."

"What if we made her think Lena was marrying her, but used that as a ruse to free Kara?" Alex asked.

"What do you mean?" Sam said.

"She can accept her proposal and travel to Rojas with a small contingent of support. All she needs to do is convince Andrea, she doesn't loathe her. When the day of the wedding comes, Andrea's guard will be down and we will attack with full force. The Emerald and Sapphire armies fighting as one front."

Lena shook her head and pressed Kara's kerchief to her cheek.

"That will not work. Even if we could take the land, Andrea would execute Kara immediately if she saw any betrayal."

"Only if she were looking for it," Alura said. "If she believed things were calm, and she had won, she may let her guard down. This plan may ask too much of you, Your Majesty. It would require faith and time."

"There is no limit to what I would do to keep Kara safe."

Aoife placed a hand on Lena's shoulder.

"I don't want to utter the words, but someone must. What if Queen Kara is already dead, and this is all some elaborate trap?" Aoife asked somberly.

Lena's face dropped, and she turned away quickly.

"I will set fire to all of Rojas. I will burn everything she ever loved or cared for."

Sam leaned forward and looped her arm around Lena's.

"Lena, she's alive. I know it. Andrea is crazy, but even she knows leverage when she sees it. If she keeps Kara alive, she will have you under control. She knows how much Kara means to you now. It would be madness for her to kill her."

Lena leaned her head on Sam's shoulder and squeezed her arm tight.

"What say you, my friend? What would you do if you were in this impossible situation, and it was your Princess in mortal danger?"

Sam looked at Alex and her eyes glassed over with tears.

"I would do anything in my power to save her. Anything."

"We need a plan," Alura said. "One carved from stone that will act as a guide into this treacherous and unpredictable world of hers."

"I will go to Rojas and accept her proposal. I leave the rest to all of you."

Aoife stiffened.

"Daughter, what do you mean? We need to have a plan before you walk into the lion's den. She is evil and may imprison or kill you on sight."

"She says I have until tomorrow evening to get word back to her. I will not delay calming her insanity until everything is set in stone. I will go and all of you will devise a plan to help free us. I have complete faith in all of you, but I can no longer wait and leave Kara to the madness of Andrea."