Chapter 189 Queen Mavena's Plan

"If this goes on, we might have to rebuild the kingdom from scratch if we succeed in defeating Captain Crimson Eye and his fleet" With a clearing of his throat, he spoke with decisiveness. "Just give me the orders, and I will stop this mess and punish these forsaken fallen leaders".

His forehead creased incessantly, and his face aged with every passing thought. His Queen's vision of the four kingdoms coexisting and fighting a common enemy was respectable, but Gideon couldn't shake the feeling that one of these mad leaders would find a way to thwart her plans, either by aligning with the enemy or acting out of selfishness.

Regardless, he turned his head to the side to gaze at the stoic face of her Queen, anticipating her response and orders.

But, she remained silent. Her eyes locked onto the ongoing battle, analyzing every detail with a series of emotional and calculative glances that made Gideon wonder about what was currently going through her head.

Gideon's focus returned to the Grand Duke's spirit. "And honestly..." He began, "I expected more from Grand Duke Liam than spirit summoning within the walls of the kingdom--".

"Gideon..." Queen Mavena finally spoke, her voice cutting through his words like a sharpened blade.

Gideon was quick to respond "Yes, my Queen?" He responded, his tone respectful and deferential.

Queen Mavena paused for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Please, remain quiet" She said softly, her words carrying a weight that left no room for argument.

Gideon's eyes shot up in surprise. Without hesitation, he bent down in a long, formal bow. "Forgive my words, my Queen" He spoke with utmost respect, his voice laced with contrition.

Queen Mavena remained silent, not out of annoyance or irritation towards her butler's words, but rather due to physical exhaustion and mental fatigue that weighed heavily on her.

Initially, she thought she had more time to prepare her plans and summon all the fallen leaders in the kingdom to warn them of the impending threat. But fate had other plans, and the declaration of war by fallen King Ameal against King Bor had led to an inevitable defeat, with both sides suffering immense losses and only one king left severely injured. It was a turn of events she had not foreseen, leaving her feeling helpless and overwhelmed.

Then, like a viper waiting to strike, the sleepy behemoth attacked without warning, rendering one of her cities uninhabitable before fleeing after an intense battle with an unknown enemy. The suddenness of the attack left the miracle queen reeling, uncertain of what other surprises lay ahead.

With a deep sigh, Queen Mavena surveyed the situation in front of her, realizing the magnitude of the challenges she faced.

Knight Boris and Grand Duke Liam engaged in a brutal duel, with the Grand Duke desperately trying to guide his adversary away from trouble, while Knight Boris, tormented by his own inner demons, fought with a ferocity born of pain and sorrow.

'This is getting increasingly difficult to control' She thought, her mind racing with the endless possibilities of what could happen next.

'For heaven's sake, who knows what might happen next?' She thought again, dreading the thought of another potential conflict between the fallen kingdoms, such as a prince of the Brylen kingdom engaging in battle against the royals of the Houya kingdom.

In fact, given what she had witnessed in the meeting hall, there was a high probability that something like that or even worse could happen next.

Frustration boiled inside her, and she couldn't help but curse under her breath, "Why can't anything go right?".

Suddenly, a voice replied to her muttered words, jolting her out of her thoughts. "Didn't you say something, my Queen?" Gideon asked, his tone respectful and composed.

Queen Mavena snapped her head towards him in surprise, her eyebrows raised in confusion as she saw him still bowing formally. "What are you doing?" She questioned, puzzled by his behaviour.

"I am merely trying to appease any anger that may be in the heart of my Queen" Gideon replied calmly, his posture unwavering and contained despite the tense situation.

The Miracle Queen exhaled deeply, a thick fog escaping her lips as she spoke. "You may resume your normal position" She commanded. Her voice echoed through the cold air.

"Thank you, my Queen" Gideon replied with a smile, straightening his back as he stood tall once more. His eyes remained fixed on the two combatants as he asked, "May I inquire about your next plans, my Queen?".

'My next plan' She repeated within her mind.

No! She shook her head. The foggy thoughts that threatened to corrupt her mind scattered and fled away like rabbits being chased by wolves.

Queen Mavena took a deep breath to calm herself, reminding herself that they already had a plan in place. There was no need to change it or entertain any other ideas.

Unwavering in her resolve, she responded. "The plan will proceed as planned. There is no need to alter it" She declared, her piercing gaze fixed on the three combatants engaged in a fierce battle for victory: the summoner and his spirit pitted against the knight.

The knight, Boris, a formidable Rank 6 magical swordsman and wielder of a Tier Six artefact 'Sword of the Knight's Tomb,' fought with unmatched skill and determination. Grand Duke Liam, a powerful Rank 5 summoner, commanded a Royal spirit with impressive expertise, while also having two higher-level spirits waiting for his command. His nephew, a Rank 5 summoner, was rumoured to have contracted two royal spirits. And then there were the two brothers from the fallen Brylen royalty: Prince Beck, a fierce Rank 5 fighter, and his brother, a skilled Rank 5 Ranger, both among the strongest in their kingdom.

All of them, formidable foes with impressive ascension ranks of either Rank 5 or Rank 6.

"A combined might strong enough that perhaps they had a chance to take down the sleepy behemoth before moving on to face Captain Crimson Eye, who had taken advantage of their unpleasant situation.

Hah!

She found herself on the verge of laughter, amused at the thought of how one man could wield such immense control over all the leaders in the region. Despite being weaker than the rest, Captain Crimson Eye held sway over them through his backing and position, commanding them with a mere word and driving daggers into their flesh without hesitation.

However, the past was just that - a distant memory. Now, with their newfound unity under a single banner, the prospect of conquering and defeating his fleets seemed not just achievable, but inevitable.

And if he were to retaliate and face them head-on?

It was a foregone conclusion.

Gideon couldn't help but question her plan. His voice was devoid of emotion as he asked, "And how can you be certain that this plan will succeed, my Queen, given the current state of disunity among us all?"

It was no secret to her that Gideon harboured doubts about her plans, and truth be told, those doubts were not entirely unfounded. They carried a considerable weight, one that could not be ignored.

Yet, undeterred by the weight of his scepticism, Queen Mavena remained steadfast in her confidence. "We must try, and hope and pray that the gods smile upon us" She declared, with a fierce resolve in her voice.

She knew that, in this moment, she could rely on no one but herself. Especially, when she was the only one who remembered how she had successfully navigated the forest in the past and had even managed to trap the sleepy behemoth - a feat that was both impressive and daring.

A feat that now lay like broken shards of glass in her memories.

Without hesitation, she continued, her voice steely "For now, we must focus on putting an end to King Bor and his troops of assassins". The thought of the chaos that King Bor had wrought after his battle with King Ameal was enough to make her almost grit her teeth in frustration.

But her emotions couldn't help but leak into her words as she added, "If he refuses to stand with us, then we have every reason to eliminate him before he aligns himself with our enemy".

And once their foes had been vanquished, they would wait patiently for the lands to recover, ready to divide the territories however they saw fit.

Gideon nodded his head in understanding, his voice trailing off as he struggled to articulate his thoughts. "But still, we can't leave before addressing the catastrophic duel between Knight Boris and the Grand Duke".

In response, a simple question escaped Queen Mavena's mouth, causing Gideon to fumble over his words. "Can you intervene in their battle and put an end to it?" She asked, her gaze fixed firmly on him.

Gideon cleared his throat, feeling the weight of her words. He couldn't lie to his Queen, but he also couldn't promise her what he wasn't sure he could deliver. "I think that if you--"

Before he could finish his sentence, Queen Mavena cast a sidelong glance at him and chuckled under her breath. She knew how to get a reaction from him. "Don't forget, Gideon, that I saw everything that happened outside the palace gates. If anything had gone wrong or unexpected, you would have been strangled under King Bor's grip or split in half by Knight Boris's sword".