HOW TO LIVE AGAIN (girlxgirlxgirl)

Kaksikymmentä; Hierarchy

"A simple tour of the dynamics between the three"
20

🦚

"-which is why I believe it would be beneficial for your majesty to provide support"

Andra finishes her sentence with a slightly stressed hum. The empress makes a noise of interest, a soft acknowledgment, but nothing more. The princess is keeping herself calm and collected, but in reality she is worried and worked up over this matter. If the empress doesn't agree, they can never defeat her brother and eventually they might all die or continue to live in exile forever.

The empress just has to agree, right? Who wouldn't want to be on the right side of history when given the chance?

"But since I believe the empress, and her court might want more evidence to my claims, I have taken with me my best scholar, Miss Fei, who will demonstrate this in numbers"

Fei looks up awkwardly from her bowed down position, that she has held for thirty minutes now. Ever since being dragged into this throne room, she has calculated everything the princess wants her to say. It's nerve wracking to be here, just the three of them, her and the princess together with her bodyguard, against several guards from the blue country, the empress and her ruling court. Everyone is here, and this is when they will make their decision about helping them or not. If she fails at convincing them, it's over.

She and Thyra are both standing obediently behind the princess, with their heads bowed down. Fei has only glanced at Thyra once, just to see what her reaction to all of this is. But she looked just as stoic and calm as when they started. Not a single muscle has been moved on her face. Fei tried to keep the same position, but now that she has to talk in front of all these people, it's getting increasingly hard not to cower. As calmly as she can muster, she takes a step forwards and bows down deeply in front of the empress, one more time. The more respectful and proper she is, the more they will take her seriously.

"Your majesty-"

And after her words she turns around a few degrees, to bow to the ruling court as well.

"And members of the court. I am a second generation scholar, so there is no need for doubt in what I say"

Thankfully, Fei manages to keep her voice stable while she speaks. She can feel the princesses gaze on her back, as she doesn't have to bow to the empress like the rest of them. Gulping down her nervousness, trying to remember every detail that she has calculated, Fei plays off her small pause as a mere catch of breath. The empress stares at her curiously and for a moment the goddess wonders if she too has heard the rumors.

"As her royal highness just informed, we would never engage your country into this war without any benefits for you. You may think of this as a mere waste of money to uphold moral values somewhere that isn't of concern to you, but I ask of you to think of this as an investment"

Fei takes a small breath, and gathers her thoughts once more.

"To have your army help us would cost you a vast sum of money, that is the truth. However, the more you invest into this army the more secure your chance at benefit will become. If we win this war, trade between our two nations will continue as before, and the gold clan, as promised by her highness, will provide you with great benefit and partnership. The blue clan and gold clan will become closer partners of trade than any other nation on our continent. In case of victory, you will get back ten times the sum of money you invest into this war, both though gifts and trading benefits"