Redcliffe castle.

A tumultuous discussion continues in the office.

Marchioness Ivanna Reskina, the Prime Minister of the newly established Hezri Kingdom yelled,

"The cost for the construction of the fortress in Frontiera is too big. Wouldn’t it be better if you built closer to the road instead of trying to do construction in such a difficult place?"

Marchioness Cass Brankovic, the Minister of Military argued back,

"What? Frontiera blocked us from the Niceaea theocratic state. There’s no meaning if we build it on the plains along the road. Setting it up along the steep cliff means we have a pivotal defense on the side."

"Huh..Calm down, you too." Countess Jill Gustav, the Minister of General Affairs sighed. She was the lowest ranked person in the room.

Ivanna and Cass, the ones in charge of politics and military respectively, were in the middle of a dispute with Jill also in the mix.

The goal was to find a good way to use the revenue. Unlike, other kingdoms, the King had decided not to impose any tax on the local residents. In return, any yield in the kingdom would be managed by the Minister of Resources, Margrave Jascha Alatt. Some yields were used for domestic self-sufficiency, some yields were traded with Venetian city state for gold as well as other goods, and some yields were sold in the newly upgraded Redcliffe port, owned by Margrave Keigel Hohmann. The kingdom would also be getting harvests in autumn so they had to deal with the grain, making things a little more troublesome than summer and winter.

At the same time, Redcliffe kept their allegiance to the new kingdom a secret from the Ferelden Kingdom. Thus, as the Marchioness of Redcliffe, Duchess Isolde Guerrin was still paying tax to the King of Ferelden in Denerim. Thus, it was argued that this new kingdom needed to cut back on their spendings.

The argument got more heated between Ivanna and Cass. The three other in the room, Jill, Jascha Alatt, and Duchess Isolde Guerrin were silent. The bispectacled man, Jascha at times argued in favour to the bispectacled woman, Cass which made the hot-tempered Ivanna hit the table.

Amidst the heated argument, Duchess Isolde Guerrin, the Marchioness of Redcliffe, finally spoke up. Her voice carried authority and a touch of diplomacy.

"Enough!" she exclaimed, her tone demanding attention. "I understand both of your concerns, but we must consider the bigger picture here. Redcliffe's allegiance to the new kingdom must remain a secret, at least for now. And that means we have limited resources and revenue at our disposal."

She looked at Prime Minister Ivanna and Minister Cass, her gaze firm yet composed. "Ivanna, I understand your concern about the cost of constructing a fortress in such a challenging location. However, we cannot compromise the security and defense of our new territory. If we position the fortress closer to the road, it may be more accessible, but it will also be more vulnerable to attacks. We need to ensure our defenses are strong."

Isolde then turned to Minister Cass. "Lady Cass, I acknowledge the importance of a pivotal defense on the cliffside. But we must also be mindful of our limited resources. We need to find a balance between security and cost-effectiveness."

"May I present my solution?"

Jascha Alatt interjected, and for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "I suggest we explore alternatives. Perhaps we can revise the construction plans to optimize the fortress's location while reducing unnecessary expenses. We can consult with our military strategists and engineers to find a solution that satisfies both our defense needs and fiscal responsibilities."

Margrave Jascha Alatt's proposal brought a momentary lull in the heated discussion. The room fell silent as the occupants considered her words. Countess Jill Gustav, the Minister of General Affairs, nodded approvingly, seeing a potential resolution in the Minister of Resource's suggestion.

Finally, Prime Minister Ivanna took a deep breath and said, "Duchess Isolde, Lord Jascha's proposal seems reasonable. Let's gather the relevant experts and discuss the revised construction plans. We need to find a practical solution that ensures our kingdom's security without burdening our finances unnecessarily."

The kingdom's chief military strategist, Cass, though still visibly frustrated, reluctantly agreed, realizing the validity of the Jascha's point. "Very well," she conceded. "Let's proceed with the consultations and revisions. We must find a way to defend our kingdom while also managing our resources prudently."

"By the way..uhum..our King is doing an undercover mission in Orlais, the foreign land that is in civil war. I wonder what is happening." Jill suddenly changed the course of discussion.

Everyone turned their sights on Cass Brankovic, who was the mastermind of the overall kingdom's military affairs.  

"We had sent 500 reinforcements with Viscount Curtis Blackwell, Miss Mithra and Lady Demia Harviala. They then separated into three teams. Lord Blackwell leads 200 men to southeast Orlais, Lady Demia leads 250 men to southern Orlais and Mithra leads 50 men to the central Orlais. But.."

Everyone turned to each other with worried looks when Cass uttered the word "but". 

Cass paused for a moment before explaining.

"Once she arrived at the destination, Miss Mithra had a skirmish with enemies and was defeated. All his men were killed. Luckily, she was saved by His Majesty. A week later, Lady Demia led local soldiers but were defeated. Luckily, she didn't bring any of our men. She managed to escape, though."

The news of the defeat and loss of men under Lady Demia and Miss Mithra's command left the room in a somber atmosphere. It was evident that the situation in Orlais was far from stable and posed a significant risk to the kingdom's covert mission and its forces.

Prime Minister Ivanna furrowed her brow, clearly concerned about the safety of their king and the potential implications of these defeats. "Are they both safe now? Has there been any communication from them?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Mithra suffered light injuries but her 50 men were gone. Lady Demia suffered no injury and her 250 men were untouched since she led local armies borrowed from local nobles."

Duchess Isolde Guerrin listened intently, her expression grave as she absorbed the news. The losses suffered by Miss Mithra and Lady Demia were unfortunate, but the fact that they had managed to survive was a small relief in the midst of adversity.

"I'm relieved to hear that both Mithra and Lady Demia are safe," Duchess Isolde remarked, her voice reflecting a mix of concern and determination. "Their survival is a testament to their skill and resilience. However, the loss of our men and the failed skirmishes underscore the precarious nature of our mission in Orlais."

Turning to Cass Brankovic, the Minister of Military, Duchess Isolde asked, "What is our next course of action? We cannot afford to risk more lives unnecessarily, especially when it seems the situation in Orlais is more volatile than we anticipated."

Cass nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "I agree, Duchess Isolde. Based on our original plan, we shall send our second reinforcement."

Ivanna voiced her concerns. "While we proceed with the covert mission in Orlais, we must also ensure the security of our kingdom here. We cannot afford to leave our defenses weakened or vulnerable to attacks. Minister Cass, I trust that you will make the necessary arrangements to maintain our domestic security while our forces are deployed."

Cass nodded firmly. "You have my word, Prime Minister. I will oversee the strengthening of our defenses and ensure that our borders are adequately protected. We shall rely on a combination of trained local militias and skilled soldiers."

Countess Jill Gustav spoke up, her voice filled with determination. "In the meantime, I will work closely with Margrave Jascha Alatt to optimize our resource management. We need to allocate our limited funds and yields wisely to support both the covert mission and our domestic needs. We must make every effort to ensure the stability and prosperity of our kingdom."

Duchess Isolde turned to Margrave Jascha. "Margrave, I trust you will use your expertise to assess the best course of action regarding resource allocation. We need to strike a balance between sustaining our kingdom and supporting our covert operations."

Jascha nodded in response. "I understand the gravity of the situation, Duchess Isolde. I will work diligently to maximize the efficiency of our resource utilization. We may need to prioritize certain sectors over others, considering the circumstances."

With a shared understanding and a sense of determination, the room fell into a focused silence. Each member of the council knew the challenges that lay ahead, but they were committed to the success and security of their newly established Hezri Kingdom.