“Because he was afraid of me,” Garcia took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions, “he is afraid of my Blacksail Fleet.”
Realizing that Ryan wouldn’t answer, she continued to explain, “Timothy seems to have a spy in our city, which in itself isn’t surprising, I myself also have arranged eyes and ears in Valencia. When he discovered the existence of my Blacksail Fleet it became easy for him to imagine what I would do later. Valencia isn’t able to support an army that is capable of facing my fleet. So, he came to the conclusion to use Gerald as bait to get what he wanted.”
“So you mean, he wants an army?”
“He wants the throne,” said Garcia, “With my father’s death and now even Gerald’s death, he has become the first heir. I am afraid that he will press the ministers to crown him as fast as possible. Only when he becomes Wimbledon IV will he be able to mobilize all his vassals with their armies. “As she said this she shook her head, “However, as I have already said, as father’s favorite son he really didn’t need to do this!”
“Wouldn’t that be worse?” asked Ryan, worried, “If your 2nd brother gets crowned, won’t he declare the battle for the throne finished and call you and your siblings back? What will you do then?”
Garcia answered as if she felt it was completely beneath her dignity, “This step would be too straightforward, just because he was our father’s favorite son, it doesn’t mean that he will have the support of the ministers, especially because of his move to kill the former king – although he pushed the murder on Gerald and may be able to fool the civilians, I estimate that it will take a long time until he will be able to grasp full authority in Graycastle. So … “she looked cunningly at Ryan and said,” I have to change my plan a little. “
Ryan immediately fell on one knee and said, “I’m willing to serve.”
Garcia stood up, walked to the window and spoke to Ryan with her back to him, “The first thing he is bound to do after he claims the throne is to deal with me. However, his only possibility to pressure me is to command Joe Kohl, the Duke of the Southern territory. I estimate that the latter will use the king’s mourning period to delay sending out his troops – that old fox has always been reluctant to do business where he would make a loss. At most he will summon his feudatories and send them out to surround Port of Clear Water. “Garcia paused slightly and then spoke further, “However, this move will give us unnecessary trouble, so we will set sail tomorrow. “
“Sail? Your Highness, don’t tell me you want to …”
“Eagle City lies more inland and is almost undefended. We can reach the Town of Clear Spring by using the tributary of the Sanwan River, from there we will only need one day to arrive at Eagle City. After we seize Eagle City, the entire Southern territory will be under my control. The situation after Timothy claims the throne will be different than what he thinks it will be. When Timothy wants to know the Duke’s progress but discovers that the whole South is under my control, I really want to see his face.”
“But, you also said that Wimbledon III just passed away, and following this -“
“What, do I need to shed some tears first?” Garcia turned around, the light of the sunset fell on her body and covered her with a red veil. Her face was hidden in the dark, only her eyes were reflected by the light. The emotion shown within her eyes was as solid as a boulder, Ryan thought. Even if she is angry or feeling regret, she will never show sorrow.
Showing sorrow wouldn’t be suitable for a King or Queen.
“No, you don’t need to do that,” Ryan seriously said.
Garcia nodded with satisfaction, “Go and tell the Captain that I want to speak him. Since Timothy was unwilling to wait until the end of the five years, I will not let him down. After I conquer Eagle City, I will declare the independence of the Southern Territory.”
All this didn’t matter to himself, he thought, Garcia will always find a solution for every possibility. Once she decides on a path for herself, she will walk down the path courageously. This was where her charm laid and was one of the reasons why he followed her.
“Yes, Your Highness … no,” Ryan corrected himself, “Your Majesty.”