Freya sat in a spacious room on the upper floors of Riverdoll Castle, admiring the paintings that the former owner of the castle, Lord Crighton, had accumulated throughout his years in office. The previous one, because a few days earlier, the Lord had made his life poisoned during a dinner in the company of the local nobility.
Freya's sister Ravenna quickly and accurately took over another castle under the cover of night, and another red raven-headed token took another place on her map of conquests, which she always kept in her chamber. Freya quickly arrived at Riverdoll with Finn, who eagerly set about enforcing the new law against the local population.
The paintings Freya admired depicted great battles hundreds of years ago, when elves and humans fought for treasures. In fact, humans waged war against the elves, unable to contain their desire to possess and accumulate goods. Most of the evil Freya saw in her life was due to the pride and lust for power of human kings to control everything in this world. Lands, their people or even their own wives who, in the quiet of royal chambers, were often tortured, unable to free themselves from their husbands.
Ravenna told her about her suffering when she was married to a mighty king who saw her only as a beautiful toy. A young with full breasts from whom he had counted on a dozen descendants. When that didn't work out, he quickly changed the concubine, leaving Ravenna as a meaningless ornament. For several years, however, all kings of men must have fallen a pale shadow of fear.
A young woman with golden hair visited successive kingdoms, getting rid of kings, lords and barons, and knights in black armor appeared in these lands who guarded the security of the new order. The news from these conquered kingdoms quickly faded, effectively cut short by the Raven Queen's thoughtful system of operation.
And finally Riverdoll came, which was a small land, but Freya and Finn were assured by Ravenna that it was only a stop to the greater kingdom. The young woman's reverie was interrupted by the opening of the door to the chamber by the Ravenclaws. Her sister entered the room, all the candlelight reflecting off her. She wore a light-reflecting silver sequin gown and a small tiara on her head. The charm was complemented by loose hair and light makeup.
Freya bowed to the head of her family, but her sister quickly dismissed it with a wave of her hand and hugged her tightly.
-"I'm sorry it took so long, but I was interrogating a prisoner," said blonde-haired carelessly.
Freya frowned at the news.
-But you got people for it. Some commanders - she replied sitting down and sipping wine began to drill Ravenna with her eyes. She ripped the gown apart to sit down better and gave Freya a radiant smile as she raised her goblet of wine.
-Yes, but he's a special prisoner. A royal messenger from Madrigoor, who is of special interest to us now.
Freya remembered that Madrigoor was a kingdom about 120 kilometers from Rivendool, and that it was a powerful kingdom.
-"That fool has accumulated a large collection of paintings," Ravenna remarked.
"Yes, I just studied them," Freya stammered, feeling the wine begin to affect her.
-"To think that so many elves, dwarves or, above all, wizards had to fight with ordinary people for their own good." That human kings are so eager to reach for what is not theirs, Ravenna said in mock amazement.
"I didn't know you had respect for the elves or the bearded," Freya replied.
"I don't," Ravenna said seriously. "But I understand them more than people." However, we will also deal with them in due course. Where's Finn, because I'd like to start our council already.
Ravenna noticed that Freya's vision was a little blurry, and she dismissed it with a soft chuckle.
-I can see alcohol relax you, Frey. You have to be careful, because this one here is delicious, but the drink can be a human ruin, as our dead lord found out.
Freya nodded, but before she could answer into the room, Finn in a black cotton jersey entered like a lion.
My queen! Sister Freya! "He greeted them both.
"Welcome, Finn," Ravenna replied, and Freya limited herself to nodding. The white-haired man was clearly confused, but Ravenna gave him a mocking smile.
-You thought that I will also be your title general? It is enough for these soldiers to say so, for me you are first and foremost a brother.
Finn swallowed and nodded to show that he understood the hint, and Freya chuckled softly.
"I have gathered you to outline a further expansion plan," Ravenna said, solemnly standing up and walking to the map of her expanding empire. -Riverdoll is a game that was supposed to open the way to Madrigoor. This kingdom is extremely valuable because of the treasuries, thanks to which we will pay more troops. It is the largest in the west of the continent. Additionally, there are valrum mines there, so the quality of our weapons should increase. Especially since we will change our strategy a bit later.
-Are you talking about the direction? Finn asked seriously.
"Yes," Ravenna replied, putting her smooth hands on the map and shuffling the raven-headed chips- We will stop. We are sending our intelligence to different parts of the continent. We don't want it to be found out too soon that we've come this far. Haste is not a good match sometimes.
Freya appeared to be bored of her older sister's argument about wars and conquests, and she summed her up with a discreet yawn that did not escape Ravenna's attention.
-Freya, I see a lack of interest in our case.
"I'm tired, Venna," replied the girl.
-I want you to clearly realize that what we are discussing here is extremely important for the future of the world. Leave the little girl in your chamber and be the Lady Freya That this title deserves.
Freya nodded that she understood her sister's rebuke. Finn snorted significantly.
-How are you going to approach the lord of Madrigoor?
Ravenna looked at her brother and gave him a smile
-Lord Jared doesn't expect our trick. Certainly his spies had already informed him of the coups in the nearby fiefs. I intend to come to his court in the form of Lord Crighton's messenger. I will tell him about the serious illness of my "overlord". I will dissolve some venom in the walls of this castle with a mysterious force that has grown far from the eyes of the mighty of this world. And when my venom enters the body, the inevitable end of the Pride of Western will come. Jared and his court even they won't know what hit them.
-"You give up the role of the beautiful stranger who enters the king's bed?" Freya asked with amusement.
Ravenna bites her lip and tapped the claw ring.
-We will see.
The meeting ended with this. As Freya and Finn left the queen's chamber, she approached the most faithful confidant of her secrets and asked the one question that always made Ravenna in her case.