Agreed. Would kind of waste our exercise in subtlety from before.
1 Like
Exactly. After all, the queenâs decision is the position we were working for. Also, weâre almost back at 80, our subtlety is 78 right now.
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Why not?
- I do not care enough.
- I do not think that I could make a difference at this stage.
- I do not want to irritate the Queen.
- It would be too exposedâI would make too many enemies.
- I am happy with the current outcome.
0 voters
Trueâthere would be no way to conceal your role in the outcome.
After all of the speeches finish, the Queen makes a final, formulaic speech and the Court comes to a close. The final effects of the Queenâs decision take some time to fully unfold. The Queen orders limited retribution on Sahra. She seizes a few highly disputed tracts of land, but she is careful to prevent atrocities or random pillaging. Things are touch and go for a while, but after some careful diplomacy, open warfare is averted. And Iberia ends up profiting handsomely from the campaign.
The Queen punishes the borderlords with a firm but measured hand. The borderlords grumble, but none of them are willing to rebel openly, and what other option do they have? The Queen and her close allies benefit greatly from the punishmentâwhile no one borderlord loses too much, in aggregate the forfeitures are quite substantial.
In the days following the Court, you note that Don Luis de Vega is notably warmer to you than he had been. He is married, and it is clear his interest is not romantic, but you have made an ally of one of the most powerful men in the Court. That could be useful as time passes.
The glittering weeks of the Season slide past, each more exciting than the last. You see a great deal of Torres, of de Mendosa, and of the Queen.
On the day of the Grand Ball (perhaps the most important event of any Season), you spend hours in front of the glass. You dress in a gown of silvery silk, and knot around your throat a scarf exactly the color of your eyes. You look critically at your reflection and are pleased with the effect.
Magdalena brushes your hair for you and arranges it becomingly. As a final touch, you pin a single rose to your gown, where it is almost hidden by the folds of the scarf. By old tradition, the Grand Ball marks the occasion when a young women such as yourself may give a rose to that suitor whom she prefers above all other suitors.
Your aunt says she expects you to behave properly and give it to Torres.
Magdalena sighs with ecstasy over the romance of the idea, and says, âYouâre going to give it to Gabriela, arenât you?â
And your uncle smiles at you approvingly. âBest to leave the posy where it is, so the Queen will know you are still available, should she wish it.â
You head down to the ball.
You thought the Seasonâs smaller parties were splendid, but they fade into unimportance as soon as you enter the Great Hall. Ropes of sweet-smelling white flowers hang from every structure capable of supporting them. Enough torches are lit to bring the illusion of daylight to the evening. The tables groan under the weight of the food and drink.
Many people within the ballroom shun you, and you hear some of them gossiping about you when they think you are out of earshot. Your reputation has turned the more respectable people against you. Torres brings you a cup of wine at once, and guides you to a seat where you can see all that is happening in the roomâand everyone can see the two of you. She is anxious for your comfort, checking to see that you are not too warm, nor sitting in a draft, and that you have wine and sweetmeats and everything you could want.
âI like to see you smile,â she says, leaning over you. âI consider it my honor to ensure your happiness.â
You look up into her kind face.
Do you give her the rose?
- Yes.
- No.
0 voters
âYou are very kind, Doña Carlota,â you say.
The musicians strike up the first song.
And de Mendosa appears at your side as if from thin air. âGood evening, Doña Carlota,â she says politely. And then, with more enthusiasm, âDoña NepNep, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?â
It is not exactly a breach of etiquette, but it is close. Torresâs face flushes. Before you can say either yes or no, de Mendosa seizes your hand and pulls you to your feet. She whirls you into the dance.
âThis is not how things are done,â you sayâperhaps teasingly, perhaps reprovingly.
âWe can choose to change the way things are done,â de Mendosa says, smiling.
Do you give her the rose?
- Yes.
- No.
0 voters
As you spin among the other young ladies and gentlemen, you suddenly feel a hand on your shoulder. You turn and look up into the face of the Queen.
âDoña NepNep,â she says, âwould you grant us the pleasure of a dance?â She stretches out her hand, and the other dancers fall aside to give you room.
She is by far the most graceful person you have ever danced with. She moves easily and is light on her feet, and her eyes sparkle as though she is genuinely enjoying herself.
âWe have never,â she murmurs into your ear, âdanced with so lovely a lady.â
âYour Majesty is too kind,â you say. The dance comes to an end, and the Queen inclines her head to you in thanks.
Do you give her the rose?
- Yes.
- No.
0 voters
âYour Majesty has honored me,â you say. âMay I give a small token to the finest dancer and handsomest lady in the room?â You unpin the rose and hold it out to her, with the entire Court watching. You hear a hiss of surprise from some in the crowd. You see the King Consort watching, lips tight.
âA charming token,â the Queen says, âfrom a charming young woman. We thank you.â
Later that night, after the ball has been over for some time, after your uncle and aunt have retired and you are telling Magdalena all about your eveningâs adventures, a tap comes on your door.
It is a servant, eyes deferentially cast down. âHer Majesty bids you to attend herâŠif you are not too tired.â
There is only one thing the Queen can mean.
But the invitation did say âif you are not too tired.â There is a way out, if you wish to take it.
Do you go?
- Yes.
- No.
0 voters
Heh, this feels like those âDo you really want to close this window? Yes Noâ - âAre you sure? Yes Noâ messagesâŠ
1 Like
I know, I am tired of all those yes no choices. 
But rest assured picking no here would not end the game. 
Update when I get home.
Are you intending to sleep with her, or are you going to use this visit to inflame her desire for you?
- I will give myself to the Queen, if that is what she desires. My fingertips tingle at the thought of her personal charms, and at the thought of belonging to so powerful a woman.
- I will go and flirt, but I will not give myself to her without a more binding relationship between us. By forcing her to chase me, I will inflame her desires all the more. She will be less interested if I am too easily caught.
0 voters
Huh, just noticed our reputation decreased againâŠ
Well, haters gonna hate~
Well you kinda gave a rose to the already married Queen in front of the entire court. I am surprised our subtle didnât drop as well
2 Likes
We arenât popular but we still know how to get what we want
You may be right. You have chosen to play a bold and dangerous game.
The Queen is alone in the outer room of her great suite. No one attends her, and with a wave of her hand, she dismisses the servant who conducted you here. âDoña NepNep,â she says. âCome and take a cup of wine with me.â
You sit, and the Queen sits very close beside you. You drink the most delicious wine you have ever tasted, and listen as the Queen talks to you. She speaks of new amusements being planned for the Court, of poets and musicians who are coming to perform. She quotes from memory a poem about love. She wears a plain robe instead of her Court finery, but somehow it only makes look her handsomer in the firelight. It emphasizes that good looks lie in her skin and bones, not in her fancy clothes.
You listen earnestly, you laugh at her witty remarks, and you let her take your hand.
Then she leans in and kisses you.
Will you allow what she so obviously desires?
- Yes.
- No.
0 voters
You allow the kiss, and then you return it. The Queen stands, takes both of your hands, and draws you into her bedroom. The night that follows surpasses even your wildest dreams.
In the morning, the servant takes you back to your room. Perhaps unfortunately, your aunt has risen early, and so before an hour has passed, all three of your family members know where you spent the night.
Before the day has passed, the news has whispered its way all through the Court.
Several days pass after the Ball. The Season is drawing to a close. You would expect to receive a proposal now or soon, but you have not.
Your uncle Pedro approaches you, a jovial smile on his face. Your aunt Leonor is with him, although she looks less pleased. âI wanted to congratulate you, my dear NepNep, on your continuing success with the Queen,â begins your uncle. âFrom both what I saw at the ball and what I have heard from others, Her Majesty thinks of nothing else but you. You have done it, my girl, and we will all reap the benefits! I could not be more proud of you.â
âThank you, Uncle Pedro,â you reply.
âYou must still be careful, of course. The Queen has been taken with young women before, and she usually tires of them in time. You must convince Her Majesty to bestow gifts and titles on you, or on your family, before you are put aside. That will be the way to secure a permanent advantage from her current interest. And that is all the more important because both Carlota Torres and Gabriela de Mendosa have moved on to pursue othersâthe Queen is now your only suitor. Yet what a suitor she is! Better to have the Queen pursuing you than any twenty other suitors.â
Before long, everyone at Court knows you are the Queenâs new favorite. You are at her side during every hunt; she wears your favor during every joust; she partners you at every dance and masque. You have a fine suite of rooms for your own use at the palace, and the Queen spends more nights there with you than she does with the King Consort.
The Queen gives your mother the gift of some traitorâs lands, and the revenue from these goes far to alleviate your familyâs constant financial worries.
As for you, the Queen gives you jewels, gorgeous clothes, and a fine horse. And you have as well the pleasure of being in her bed at night, and at her side during all daytime Court functions. She pays you compliments, writes you poetry, and arranges to surprise you frequently with the things you like best. The whole thing is like living a fairytale, or a masque.
What use do you make of your new position?
- Accumulate as much wealth as possible.
- Accumulate as much personal power as possible.
- Learn more magery.
- I will try to use her favor to get involved in the running of the country. In this way, I can both do something that has a real effect, and impress her with my intelligence.
- Capture the Queenâs heart completely. I want to always be first in her eyes.
- This is all I ever wanted. I bask in the adoration of my handsome and powerful lover as a cat basks in the sun.
0 voters
I donât see an option to invite her to the family conference at Rokkenjima. Iâm sure sheâd love the âfamily magicâ 
1 Like
You ask the Queen a few questions about the situation with Sahra, and when she seems receptive, ask a few more. Your questions are intelligent ones, and the Queen soon becomes accustomed to discussing the dayâs events with you over a glass of wineâŠbefore your more, ah, athletic evening activities. By no means do you know everything in her head, but you get a reasonable understanding of the issues facing the country.
Along the way, you become better acquainted with Don Luis de Vega. On occasion, the three of you drink wine and discuss matters of state, and Don Luis seems interested to hear what you have to say. Once or twice, he comments favorably to the Queen regarding your insight into matters of government.
The foremost among these, of course, is the lack of an heir. Once or twice, the Queen brings up her anguish over the situation. âJuanita is a lovely child, of course,â she says. âBut it wonât do, to have a Death Mage succeed me. I must manage to have a Life Mage childâŠâ
The Court soon notes that the Queen and the King Consort are hardly ever seen together any longer. The Queenâs preference for you is quite apparent, and it remains so throughout the Season.
As the time for the opening of a new Season nears, your uncle takes you aside to speak with you.
âYou have done very well for your family, NepNep,â Uncle Pedro says approvingly. âYou are first in the Court now; everyone says so; there is no great likelihood of the Queen losing interest in you and turning to someone newâor even back to the King Consort. Now the question becomesâŠhow can we improve still further on your position?â
How do you reply?
- âI refuse to participate in your petty stratagems, Uncle. I like my position exactly the way it is.â
- âImprove still further on my position? How? It is not as though we could marry.â
0 voters
Oh my, our booksmart skyrocketed. Itâs at 78, same as our subtlety, now.
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Our reputation is 14 though, heh.
Uncle Pedro spreads his hands. âWho can say? The King Consort might pass from this life. Or perhaps might fall so far from Her Majestyâs grace as to be set aside. And in such a situation, it would be as well for you to be positioned as the only possible replacement.â
âThe Queen could still not marry me, Uncle,â you remind him patiently. âWe are both Death Mages. The Queen must wed a Life Mage to produce a Life Mage heir.â
Your uncle turns away from you, pacing slowly about the room. âThe Queenâs current union with a Life Mage seems unlikely to ever produce a Life Mage heir,â he says. âHer Majestyâs only legitimate child is a Death Mage. Then there is TomĂĄs de Reyes: Her Majestyâs child, to be sure, and a Life Mage, but from an illicit union. The succession isâŠlikely to be very messy indeed, no matter what Her Majesty does next. In that case, why should Her Majesty not wed whereââ Your uncle pauses, and looks at you. ââwhere happiness is possible? AnyâŠtrue friend of Her Majesty would surely understand such a desire.â
His words seem to hang in the air between you. You think you understand his implication well enough. If the succession is going to be messy in any case, why should House de Flores not benefit as much as possible before that time?
What are you going to do now?
- Discover some way to discredit the King Consort, so the Queen is more likely to set him aside.
- Discover some way toâŠeliminate the King Consort more permanently.
- Do neither of these things. I am not going to risk my current position with such conspiracies.
0 voters