A new thought occurred to the Duchess.
- The steward will have to ride out to meet His Majesty, won't he?
- Yes, your ladyship! As the appointed regent of the duchy, he must do so!
For the first time, it occurred to the woman that perhaps her son was not so obedient to the King's wishes. Unable to legally refuse his suzerain and reject the proposed bride, the duke was showing his temper. Despite the apparent theft that became known, the steward did not lose not only his head, but also retained his post, and then was left in charge.
And now, as regent of the duchy, he will go to meet the king and the future bride of his young master. A penniless herbivore receiving the king! This is the sort of thing you only see in old fairy tales!
But only wanting to show his attitude to what was happening, Duke Kass overdid it. Even if not a direct insult to the king. That's how the southern dukes liked to entertain themselves. Until the great-grandfather of the current ruler of Elur lost his temper and explained to them the depth and breadth of their delusions in an extremely lucid manner.
At the same time shortening some particularly zealous jokers. And now the southern traditions were being revived in the north, which had always been loyal to the king and his authority. Something had to be done about it.
Watching the emotions appear on the captain's face, the duchess noted to herself with pleasure that this callous warrior could feel not only rage or anger, but also amazement and confusion. Realizing what a nasty thing the Duke had willingly or unwillingly thrown at them, Vilor feverishly tried to think of something.
After all, the angry king in the coming days, or even weeks will be in the castle continuously. And then prove that you were executed wrongly and not according to the law! The woman understood this too, which means we must buy some time.
- Organize a hunt for His Majesty!
- But your lordship, rumor has it that the king is not a big fan of hunting animals, nor does he like hunting goblins.
- Then let him hunt humans! There are still plenty of bandits on the roads of the Duchy. I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can catch at least one gang!
The captain bowed silently. It was indeed a great idea. The king, angry at the inappropriate encounter, would have a chance to blow off steam by getting back at others. And the brigands had bloodied not only the duke but also the king, robbing several caravans of the crown, and the king should be no less angry with them than with the rebel, the Orodians or Kass. All that remained was to make the effort and truly ensure the king not only the process of the hunt, but also the spoils of the hunt.
- I'll do it all, my lady!
- And try to take the king through the forests for at least a week! I need time!
The captain left, and the duchess thought. The King will not refuse to travel through the duchy in search of outlaws. Even if he's not interested, he won't want to stay at Castle Kass after such a reception. But he will leave his sister here. And he would have to take advantage of the time he had and charm the princess.
His majesty loved her unconsciously, and when she returned, she would be able to talk her brother out of his rash actions towards his future husband and his entourage. And a couple of smarmy and all agreeable maids will finally calm the king. It is only necessary to find out his tastes!
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