"We are already rich in our own way," Lady Beatrice flatly replied to Elys. "That is wonderful, but we think we would need a better bargain with this. Pledging our loyalty to your reign will give us a lot of enemies and diminish what little connections we have for ourselves."
"Quite understandable," Elys acknowledged the lady’s concern. "What do you suggest so you would be willing to give me your services, then? Demand what you want and I will see to it if it is in my powers."
Lady Beatrice’s jaw dropped the moment Elys ended her sentence.
The noble lady was truly taken a back.
She did not expect the human queen to accept her opinion that quickly. The noble woman expected her to be adamant that that was her last offer. Most nobilities are prideful enough, what more are those that seat at the highest – the kingdom’s throne.
"W-Wait, you w-w-would seriously c-consider it if we d-demand a b-ba-ba-bargain?" Lady Penelope asked.
Elys nodded and smiled at them as genuinely as she could.
The young queen saw the ladies were slowly rethinking their choices. Power and wealth were just one of the many things that nobilities crave for. They fight for it even to the point of using underhanded methods.
Her offer to them would be one sure way to elevate their families without putting in much effort than to change sides in an internal power struggle within the kingdom. The ladies knew it even without asking.
"Anything?" Lady Tabitha asked.
"Of course, I will consider anything you ask of me," Elys replied. "It is a fair bargain; don’t you think so?"
The women’s faces turned serious.
’Slowly now, they are considering it...’ the young queen thought.
Lightning flashed outside her windows and thunder soon rolled afterwards. Shadows danced within the room as light permeated from the outside.
Her face was expectant – a looming victory in her game of wits and promises.
"Alright!" Elys clapped her hands together, "All of you don’t have to give me an answer right away. I am not that inconsiderate to pressure you when you don’t want to give your hundred percent to me and his majesty. I still value quality over quantity."
The Queen stood from her couch and then added, "It was nice speaking with all of you ladies. I will expect those that would return tomorrow are the ones who accept my offer. Your duties will be effective tomorrow the very moment you step inside the palace gates."
She waved her hands towards the doors, and the noble women stood up to exit her chambers. There was an air of reluctance from several of them, others still pondering over the pros and cons of siding with the current monarchs.
"Men, the ladies are going home now," she called out to the knights stationed outside her chambers.
The doors opened right after, and Elys watched the noble women’s backs as they exited the room.
The storm was still raging outside, and the very moment her chambers closed, she heaved a heavy sigh. Partly, her nerves had caught up with her, while also thanking the gods that she survived such an important part of her plan without any open hostilities.
Lady Azalea, Baroness Ekaterina, and Lady Beatrice were probably the ones she was concerned the most.
Would they accept her offer or not?
That was a question that would be answered the next day – hopefully the outcome would be on her favor. If not, then Elys would have to choose more drastic measures.
She didn’t want to go to such lengths, but for her people and the sake of all humans in the Western Kingdom, Elys was willing to do more than what was necessary. Aleksander would surely be by her side to support her as well.
She bit her lip in apprehension, but at the same time excitement rose inside her. If all of the women would return tomorrow though, then the future for all the slaves and human servants would be much brighter.
"One step at a time, Elys," she whispered to herself.
The young queen’s head suddenly whipped to her right. Her windows were opened, and the harsh winds brought with it rain.
"Aleksander," she sighed, "you really had to sneak in when you just had to knock?"
The king revealed himself and sheepishly replied, "You sent me away awhile ago. I thought this was the only way for me to get inside now."
His wife rolled her eyes.
"Close the windows, you are ruining my carpet," she grumbled.
Aleksander’s eyes lit up. He assumed her reply was supposed to be positive, thinking that if she didn’t tell him to get lost then he was fine to stay.
The vampire closed the windows right away, and in mere seconds closed the distance between them.
"So, how did it go?" he said.
"Sit down first," his queen said.
Both of them sat down and Aleksander’s expectant eyes bored into her. Elys felt weird that he was staring too hard that she eventually broke the silence and answered him.
"We will see what the outcome would be tomorrow," she finally told him, and then asked, "Don’t you read minds? I thought you were eavesdropping outside?"
Aleksander crossed his arms and leaned at the couch’s backrest and joked, "You were cruel to send me away, your husband, your king! And so, I decided to give you the privacy you wanted with your ladies."
His queen raised a brow and replied, "Quiet a gentleman you are to have thought of that – after barging in and putting the women on the edge of their seats. We need to put a stop to that fake prophesy Queen Zephyrine had spread throughout the whole kingdom."
Aleksander’s face twisted with the mention of the late queen’s name.
"We will need the vampire clergy to confirm the late queen’s lies then," he said with a glum look. "It won’t be easy for us to convince that woman. She clearly does not approve of my claim to the throne."