"You see this?" Yolanther asked as he tossed the document onto the table and smiled.
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I don't see anything special about this," the old man behind Yolanther said hesitantly.
"Look at this," Yolanther said, laughing. "It says that Anfey is proposing assassinating Scarlet and causing Baery to lose the battle. It says that Anfey is a Shansa spy. They want me to summon him to Sacred City and interrogate him."
"He is gaining fame," the old man said. "He's not good at socializing. The officials and noblemen aren't fond of him."
"Anything else?"
"I don't think he likes the noble class," the old man continued. "A lot of noblemen think that he is going to cause them to lose their power."
"What about Alice?" Yolanther asked. "Alice has never done anything to them, has she?" He found another document and placed it on the table. "They say Alice is Edward the VIII's daughter and should not be trusted. They want me to summon Alice here and question her publicly. They want me to imprison her!" Yolanther finished with another laugh.
"That… is strange," the old man said.
"I've been striving for unification for years," Yolanther said. "But for these noblemen, that's not important. What is important to them is what they can get from it."
The old man sighed but did not say anything.
"They want to use me to create an opportunity for them. If Alice is here, they can pressure her and use her as well. Do they really think I'm that stupid?"
"They underestimate her," the old man said.
"Who do you think is behind this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Alice is very important. We need her to stabilize the Shansa Empire." Yolanther paused and sighed. "Can you imagine how powerful they will be if they can control Alice?"
"They won't," the old man said. "I don't know Alice, but I'm certain she won't be controlled by the noblemen."
"Let's look at this another way; Alice can't be a ruler. That would only make those from the Shansa Empire uncomfortable. But there is a way we can unite the two nations peacefully without angering anyone."
"What is it?"
"Marrying Alice off to the right man will be the first step," Yolanther said. "Her child will be the rightful person to take the throne. Of course, I have to be careful; I have to pick the right man for her because her husband will be my successor." He turned to the old man and said, "This is why I am asking you. Who do you think would be best?"
"Christian is in the Country of Mercenaries. It has to be either Grandon or Wester."
"Obviously."
"I am not in the right position to comment on this," the old man said with a shake of his head.
"What makes me angry is that the noblemen are not paying taxes," Yolanther said. "They are stalling. Someone is telling them what to do. I'm too busy right now to do anything about them. What makes me so mad is that they are so careless. Even in the face of a common threat, the noblemen still only care about themselves."
The old man sighed but did not say anything.
"Maybe it's because they've forgotten that I am their ruler," Yolanther said softly. "I didn't punish Phillip; I allowed him to roam free. Maybe those noblemen thought I would be as forgiving with them as I was with Phillip."
"You mean…"
"I cannot allow them to mess up my plan," Yolanther said. "Did you say that some of the important members of my court are involved in avoiding paying taxes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Do you have enough evidence?"
"I do."
"Do what you must."
The old man nodded.
"Another thing," Yolanther said. "What do you know about Alice?"
"She is a capable woman, from what I've gathered," the old man said. "Baery and Saul know her better than I do, but I am certain they will tell you the same thing. She expanded the League of Mercenaries tenfold in less than a year. Without her, Anfey never could have managed all those mercenaries."
"What about her weaknesses?"
"She can be hesitant when it comes to making important decisions, but she is still young," the old man said. "She works well with Anfey. He is determined and is capable of making quick decisions. She is much more considerate and can see things through a different perspective."
"If I give her a chance, would she take it?"
"She may not," the old man said. "Anfey did say she doesn't trust us."
"I see," Yolanther said. "If she had other motives, she would try to gain our trust. Clearly, she doesn't need us to get what she needs."
"She cares very much about the League," the old man said. "I think she thinks of the League as home now. Her dedication to it shows that she no longer thinks of the Shansa Empire as her home."
"And she gets along with Anfey and Christian?"
The old man nodded. "They all respect her," he said. "He doesn't respect a lot of people, but I believe she is one of them. She is also well loved among the commoners. When she was still living in the Shansa Empire, there was a plague there. She went to the cities that were quarantined, against the wish of her advisors, to comfort the sick. Without her, the people in those cities might have rioted."
"Wonderful," Yolanther said. "I see that I can trust her with important issues."
"Even if she has trouble with them, she will have the support of Saul and his students," the old man said. He paused for a second and said, "The recent victory made a lot of people here restless, Your Majesty. Your support of Anfey will only make them even more so. They… they may try something against it."
"As long as I am alive, they will never succeed," Yolanther said with a laugh.