"Just as we used the King of Megaris to get rid of her, we can use that witch to get rid of that young king and shake his reign," Queen Niobe voiced out with a conspiring tone.
Her words puzzled Darus Count even more. "To get rid of the King of Megaris?"
"That young king is ambitious. He is no different from King Samer Vailes. When he ascended the throne, wasn't his first exploit conquering the other kingdoms in the east, leaving the eastern region with only Griven and Megaris? In the future, as soon as he consolidates his power, he will surely try to swallow the entire continent to create his own empire. If an empire appears in this continent, the only one who deserves to be its emperor should be someone from the Royal House of Ilven, my son Cian, and not one inhuman creature."
What Queen Niobe said made sense to the minister. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Darus Count was always among the first to receive information regarding the movements of other kingdoms. The people of Megaris respected and feared the young king due to his strength and achievements. Besides, seeing the person was much more useful than simply reading reports. How overbearing was King Drayce when he intruded upon the royal court's council meeting?
From what he had observed from the King of Megaris so far, the young king had the makings of a tyrant. He was sure what Queen Niobe said was highly possible, and once it happened, Abetha would not be out of his clutches. All the kingdoms would end up being a subordinate of Megaris, paying tribute to it. But he still couldn't understand how the weak Third Princess would be useful in getting rid of this ambitious king.
"Your Majesty, how will the Third Princess help us?" Darus Count asked.
"Her existence itself will be the weapon for us to use against him," Queen Niobe said as she explained further, "Do you think a kingdom as large as Megaris is completely under King Drayce's control? How many factions are vying for interests within Abetha, restricting the authority of my husband? Do you believe their power and influence will be any less in Megaris?"
"Once that witch enters Megaris, she will be a lonely boat surrounded by sharks. There will be no one who will protect her like how her father, King Armen, had till now. King Drayce is only one person, and as a ruler, his whole life will not only revolve around that girl. For an infamous cursed princess who had never seen the outside world, with no trusted companion in a distant land, no family to back her up or comfort her, no knowledge of administration or politics, and no courage to stand up by herself, she will only face difficulties there. Forget her reputation; just handling the responsibilities of a queen is out of the question since she never received a proper education.
"Such an incompetent queen will face humiliation and loneliness like never before, and we all know that once she cries, what disaster she can bring. Even if we put her incompetence as a queen aside, it won't take time for that ruthless and overbearing king to trouble her and make her cry. Her presence alone will cause the land to be cursed for flowers never to bloom. The common people are sensitive to such situations, and it will only be a repeat of how she's treated here in Abetha, scorned and despised by the people. Once that young king realizes that she will bring nothing but trouble and disaster to him, that she cannot even do one thing right, can you tell me how long till his interest in her fades? Until when will his patience last?."
Darus Count was delighted to hear such detailed foresight. "Your Majesty, forgive me for not being able to think that far. Your Majesty is, as usual, ahead with her thinking. This lowly minister is enlightened."
"What I said was only a little trouble for that king. The most important thing is the other one."
"May I know what it is?" Darus Count asked, feeling all excited about hearing her schemes.
"I once heard my husband mentioning no one can take that veil off of her face. If someone sees her face, it will bring disaster not only to that witch but also to the one who will see her face, a disaster to the extent that the harm could never be reversed. That's why even being her father; my husband has never seen his own daughter's face."
"That means..."
"There is no husband in this world who would not want to see his own wife's face, isn't it?" Queen Niobe smiled at the minister.
Darus Count understood everything clearly now. He couldn't help but praise the Queen. "Your Majesty, this lowly minister is fortunate to be able to serve you."
Queen Niobe only smirked. Everything was set in place, and all she's waiting for was that witch to marry Drayce.
"Only my son can become the emperor of this continent, and no one else can," she said with a determined voice, and Darus Count agreed.
After marrying Seren to the King of Megaris, they would get rid of the fear of being attacked by Thevailes, and Abetha would be safe. And later, once Cian assumed the throne and became king and strengthened Abetha to deal with Thevailes and others, by then, Megaris would have suffered under the curses of that witch, and Abetha could take advantage of it.
Many plans hatched in Queen Niobe's mind as she trusted the ability of her son.
"But will Prince Cian agree to an expansion? He is like King Armen, who prefers to maintain stability and peace." Darus Count asked.
"It is because my son still needs guidance. History itself has shown that only with absolute power can there be true peace," Queen Niobe commented. "It will be Cian who will be praised for bringing a golden age to the entire continent."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Queen Niobe finished her cup of tea and gestured for her lady-in-waiting to take it away. "Is there anything else you need to say? The night is getting late, and I wish to rest."
"Before coming here, my men informed me that the King of Megaris had gone to King Armen's study," Darus Count informed.
"I believe King Armen must have agreed to give away his daughter to the King of Megaris."
"I didn't know this was all that easy," Darus Count said in disbelief.
"If King Armen needs to protect his kingdom from the threat of war, he needs to get Megaris as an alley or Abetha will be doomed," Queen Niobe commented with a frown. "That sly cousin of mine and her son..."
Queen Niobe was a smart woman and she could predict what would happen next. From her words, Darus Count understood why King Armen was finally convinced to give his precious daughter away. After all, King Armen was the father of this kingdom first, and when it was the safety of the kingdom being threatened, family could come second. He was truly a wise king.