Seven Kings to curse them all

The Kings Council

Queen Margrethe sat at the end of the council table. She wore her mourning clothes; long black dress with floor length sleeves, holy beads around her neck and her thick light blonde hair pinned up tightly. She had a pointed sharp face and thin lips. She pursed them together in fury as she looked around the table at the High Lords. Warwick Parker, hand of the Queen and High Lord of The Delta's was at the other end of the table. They all sat waiting for her to open the meeting. 

"Did every one of you simply neglect to inform me of my sons own marriage treaty plans?" Margrethe snapped. She was seething, staring down Lord Parker first and foremost. "To belittle me by having common merchants hear of such news before his own mother. Your Queen!" she reminded them "Queen Regent until my son turns twenty this coming birthday." she stressed her new status. A status gifted in her husbands death. 

"Your highness." Parker began "The late king, Gods rest his soul, believed that a treaty between Princess Odette and Prince Victor would unite our tow kingdoms in peace." 

"Are we currently at war?" Margrethe jested "is there some hidden conflict that you have also failed to inform me of? We outnumber them two to one." 

"No your highness, but they do have the strongest and most skilled army. One that far outstrips ours in size and skill." Lord Kian was High Lord of the Blacktops and supported the decision. 

"Our Queen cannot be mis-informed. She makes us all look fools if she herself is to be made out as one." Lord Bratten fought back. He was High Lord of Ellereath and cousin of the Queen. "What can this foreign princess do for us besides muddying our line of inheritance?" he argued. 

"Your grandson would have a legitimate claim to their throne your highness." Warwick fought back "King Illam has only two legitimate children and so if his son was to die..." he held out his hands as he suggested the beneficial outcome. 

"Cadia has no real need for a small desert island up north. We need more money." Lord Reed suggested "Lord Parker can attest to such as hand. Crop from Melmount has been cut down by half, death rates from flu are increased down in the Blacktops." he pulled out papers that corresponded with some research he had done. "When i traveled here, i took the liberty of making some detours and taking some notes." he placed the papers down on the table for the Lords to pass around. 

"It is true your highness, my region is struggling this winter. The soils are more stubborn and the fruits are not holding even in greenhouses." Lord Quailbore supported "but, flow of crop is steady and we have had no rationing riots." 

"I don't care about crop or fruit or flu now. Why was i not informed?" Margrethe pushed the papers away without reading them. "As Queen i expect to be informed." 

"It will never happen again." Warwick eased the Queens anger. He assured her and looked to the rest of the table who all nodded along. 

 Margreathe stood up from her seat. "See to it that more healers are sent to the Blacktops to quell all their complaints." she stormed from the room followed by her personal guard. Lord Bratten took his leave as well. Once he was out of the room Lord Parker called the others to take their seats again. 

"My Lords." he began "myself and Lord Kian have another matter that need to be addressed discreetly and efficiently." he dismissed the remaining guard. "Our prince Victor is ready to rule. He is a man now of nineteen, twenty in mere months. I worry that our Queen will try and prolong her seat as regent, she talks as if she should be the true ruler of Cadia" he preached "no woman should belittle us as she does just now! No mother should rule in place of a healthy legitimate son!" The lords nodded along. 

"How do we know she truely wants to de throne prince Victor? She adores her sons." Lord Quailborne raised a fair question. 

"I found these papers in her quarters. A law that will mean no prince can rule until he is twenty five." Warwick placed down the papers and drafts. "She, as regent, has power to sign these and make them into law." he warned them. "Queen Margreathe may rule over us for another five years. In time, without the alliance between our prince and princess Odette the Mayanan's could invade, the people now hungry and dying this winter may uprise..." he shook his head. "Is this the world you want to live in my Lords?" 

"Certainly not. Prince Victor must be married to Princess Odette then." Lord Quailbore now stood up straight, converted to this conclusion. Lord Reed simply nodded along and stared at the papers. 

"And the Queen must not be allowed to govern over Cadia as if she is King." Lord Kian stated firmly. They had been planning it for months now. Kian had guided Lord Parker to start the discussion, he hid behind him so as to spare his head if the Queen should discover.