>>1647300
>>"It's always good to know another weapon."

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>>1647300
"It's always good to know another weapon," you say. "You never know when you might need it."

"So…" Olwen's eyes drag down towards your groin. "Does that make the spear your third weapon."

You throw your towel at her face and she catches it with a laugh.

Delyth stands up to return to her room. Olwen and you both hold her hand; she doesn't need the help, but she does smile at the gesture.

Your plans for a party to celebrate Reagan's and gain the nobility's good will are proceeding as planned, but there is one little detail that's been hindering Esyllt. Now that you're free, you and Olwen meet her in her office.

"Any good news?" You ask.

"I found three suitable and affordable spears," Esyllt says. "They're all in the same merchant's inventory. Unfortunately, I don't know how to gauge a spear's quality."

"I can help with that," Olwen says. "Shall we go now?"

"That would be best," Esyllt says. "I'm afraid I have much work to do."

Fortunately, the merchant's store is just a short walk away. He proudly displays his weapons for Olwen's evaluation, confident in their quality.

There's an earth-based enchantment that makes the spearhead heavier the instant it hits to make it hit harder without affecting the weapon's overall balance, a water enchantment that makes the shaft more flexible and even extends its length so that it can bypass defenses and a fire enchantment that sets the spearhead ablaze. Hardly the most creative enchantment, but it's a classic for a reason. Most people react poorly to being set on fire.

>Buy the earth spear.
>Buy the water spear.
>Buy the fire spear.

>>1647481
>>Buy the fire spear.

>>1647481
>>Buy the fire spear.

>>1647481
>>buy the water spear

It's as sneaky as ourselves!

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>>1647481
You buy the fire spear for several very hefty bags of gold. It's not necessarily the best weapon, but it can be versatile with just a bit of skill and creativity. Besides, fire is, fundamentally, intimidating. You sheath the tip in thick leather and return to Reagan's palace, talking about your plans as you walk.

"Will you be able to use it properly before the celebration?" Esyllt asks. "I don't claim to be an expert on the subject of honour, but I do understand the importance of posturing."

"It'll be fine," Olwen says. "Delyth and I guarantee it."

"I'll take your word for it then," Esyllt says. "Have you thought about who you want to invite?"

"Several Olstren nobles already support you," Olwen says. "They'll certainly come if you invite them. As for the nobles who don't like you… that's a different matter. If you invite them and they snub you, you'll lose face."

>[Sovereign/1d12] Only invite the nobles who support you.
>[Sovereign/1d8] Invite the major nobles, regardless of whether they support you.
>[Sovereign/1d6] Invite representatives from all noble families.

>You have an automatic success on this roll.

>>1647624
>>[Sovereign/1d6] Invite representatives from all noble families.

>>1647624
>>[Sovereign/1d6] Invite representatives from all noble families.

>>1647624
>[Sovereign/1d6] Invite representatives from all noble families.

And dule the ones that snub you
Make it into a offer if they beat you youl back off but if you win they obey you

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>>1647624
"Invite representatives from all the noble families," you say. "I want them all to know how things stand now. There can't be a single shred of doubt in their minds that Reagan will become Queen."

"You certainly make it sound impressive," Olwen says. "Of course, if we fail now, after all this time…"

"We won't fail," you say. "If we can't succeed with this, we'll just find some other way. That's all there is to it."

The most important quality of a strong leader is to show confidence so that others will be willing to follow in your footsteps. You don't have to - and in some cases, you really shouldn't - feel confident, but you have to at least look like you know what you're doing.

Besides, you do have several backup plans in this case. They're called civil war and political assassination and they haven't failed you yet.

"We'll need a larger venue," Esyllt says. "As well as food, drinks, entertainment…"

"Eleri can help us with that," you say. "She should know how to organize a party. You can handle the details."

You return to the palace and place your new spear in storage. Eleri is taking a nap - she was looking after the children this morning - but everyone else should be awake.

>Talk to Myrddin.
>Talk to Reagan.
>Talk to Seren.

>>1647798
>>Talk to Myrddin.

>>1647798
>>Talk to Myrddin.

>>1647798
>Talk to Seren

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>>1647798
Myrddin moved his books and notes down into an old cellar so he could maintain a secretive, almost dungeon-like lair. It hasn't done much good to his complexion, but with a few light and fire stones, it feels quite cozy.

Your advisor is sitting still at his desk with his head bowed down. If his back wasn't straight, you would think he was asleep.

"Myrddin?" You call. "Are you still awake?"

Myrddin stiffly raises his head and stares blankly at you with bloodshot eyes. "Yes, I was just resting," he says. "With my eyes open. That's perfectly normal for me."

You wince and take a seat. "You know, Eleri has four infants to look after, but you still look more tired than her."

"It's a busy time," Myrddin says. "I have to catch up on all my spies' reports and find the best way to assign my remaining assets."

>[Intrigue/1d10] "I can help you with that."
>[Intrigue/1d8] "I can finish that for you."
>"Fine, but don't overdo it."

>You have an automatic success on this roll.

>>1647985
>[Intrigue/1d8] "I can finish that for you."

>>1647985
>>[Intrigue/1d8] "I can finish that for you."

>>1647985
>[Intrigue/1d8] "I can finish that for you."

>>1647985
>>[Intrigue/1d8] "I can finish that for you."

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>>1647985
"I can finish that for you," you say. "Just rest for a bit."

"Fine, if you say so." Myrddin yawns and rests his head on his desk. He falls asleep almost immediately.

You flip through his books and notes. You quickly realize that doing this yourself is quite beneficial, as it lets you get a sense of how the nobles feel about and what they're willing to do about it.

The northern duchies don't like your sudden rise in Olstren very much, especially the ones who tried to marry their sons off to Reagan. However, as you seem to have two thirds of Olstren on your side, they're not willing to do anything over about it yet, and several of the more moderate nobles just want to find some way to save face and move on.

It's a good thing your opponents are being cautious, because your allies aren't all that reliable. Oh, they certainly support you in public, but some of the prouder nobles are a bit more reluctantly to profess their loyalty. You get the sense they'll be willing to come around if you make a strong show of force.

Myrddin opens his eyes just as you finish up. "Are you done already?" He asks. "Well, what did you think?"

"It was very enlightening," you say. "I didn't know our situation was both so precarious and so stable."

"Things are quite complex at the moment," Myrddin says. "But if you know how to take advantage of the situation, you'll be able to come out ahead."

"Thank you for your confidence," you say. "Is there anything else?"

"I do have a more personal question," Myrddin admits. "If you don't mind me asking… what's it like raising children?"

>"It's fun. I wish I had more time to devote to it."
>"It's a lot of responsibility. It often feels more urgent than running a city."
>"I delegate as much of it as possible."

>>1648161
>>"It's a lot of responsibility. It often feels more urgent than running a city."
>>Is it a boy or a girl?

>>1648161
>>"It's a lot of responsibility. It often feels more urgent than running a city."
>>Is it a boy or a girl?

>>1648161
>>"It's a lot of responsibility. It often feels more urgent than running a city."
>>Is it a boy or a girl?

Did someone say child spies?

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>>1648161
"It's a lot of responsibility," you say. "For most of my duties, there are times when I need to wait on someone else, so unless I'm dealing with a major crisis, there isn't as much urgency to it, but if Rhein starts crying in the middle of the night and Reagan tells me to take care of him, I have do take care of him right away."

"Except I'm the one who has to make things happen while you wait, so I don't have any downtime," Myrddin grumbles. "So my life is just one emergency after another now?"

"Sounds about right," you say. "Boy or girl?"

"How would I know?"

"Well, Nimue being Nimue, I'd always assumed that she'd just show up one day with a baby and none of us would notice she was ever pregnant."

"That's…" Myrddin hesitates. "Okay, that's similar to what happened. She hasn't given birth yet, but she is five months along. That's part of the reason why I have so much work piled up. I need to give her some time off."

>"Congratulations."
>"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."
>"She does deserve a vacation after all the work she's done."

>>1648295
>>"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."

>>1648295
>>"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."

>>1648305
>>"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."

>>1648295
>"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."
And you 2 go chill out for a few mouths

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>>1648295
"I can drop the subtlety if it'll make things easier for you."

"It would," Myrddin admits, "but it would also increase the chances of war."

"I'm sure we can all discuss this like responsible adults who don't want to throw our lives away," you say. "Besides, I'm already planning to defeat all the major champions. That's not a task that requires spies."

"In that case, thank you for the reprieve." Myrddin rests his head back on his deck and falls right back asleep.

You quietly slip out of Myrddin's office and go to Eleri's room. You crack the door open and lightly knock to see if she's awake.

"Yes?" Eleri's lying in her bed, but she is awake. "Hello, your highness."

"Good morning." You sit on the edge of Eleri's bed and stroke a few stray strands of hair away from her forehead. "I'd like your advice on something. I need a venue for Reagan's celebration."

"Who are you inviting?"

"The nobles," you answer. "All of them. I need to impress them."

"The palace grounds will be fine," Eleri says. "However, if you want to make a more impressive demonstration, there is a coliseum in the city you could rent. It would make your duels far more impressive. It would be expensive though."

>"The palace grounds will be good enough."
>[Merchant/1d8] "I can afford the coliseum."

>You have an automatic success on this roll.

>>1648436
>[Merchant/1d8] "I can afford the coliseum."

>>1648436
>>[Merchant/1d8] "I can afford the coliseum."

>>1648436
>[Merchant/1d8] "I can afford the coliseum."

>>1648436
>>[Merchant/1d8] "I can afford the coliseum."

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>>1648436
>>1648436
"I can afford the coliseum," you say. "After all, it's only for a few hours."

"You'll need an announcer, servants to deliver drinks and food to the crowd, chefs and kitchens to prepare the food, guards to escort the guests to the palace for the real celebration…" Eleri lists off everything you'll need to do arrange to do this properly. "And of course, you'll need a physician or two."

"I'm going to assume that's for the other guy."

"It isn't," Eleri says. "Not that I don't have faith in you, but didn't you almost get assassinated by a fat monk once?"

"I don't want to talk about that," you say. "How did you even hear about it?"

"Myrddin mentioned it in passing," Eleri answers. "Although I imagine it wasn't as funny as he made it sound."

"Hindsight makes it everything funny so long as it doesn't kill you," you say. "Is there anything else I need?"

"Nothing I can think of at the moment," Eleri says. "I'll make a list for Esyllt later."

"Thank you." You kick off your boots and lie down next to Eleri, placing a head on her belly. "And since I have some time to spare, would you mind if I spent it with you?"

"That sounds lovely." Eleri closes her eyes and snuggles against you.

Rolled 2, 4, 6, 2 = 14 (4d6)

>>1648616
And that's it for today. Bonus XP time now.

Rolled 6, 2, 2 = 10 (3d8)

>>1648625
And that's it for today. Beleaguered Prince Quest will return on Friday July 14th at 7PM EDT. I'll see you all then.

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>>1648633
cheers, boss

>>1648625
>>1648633
didn't we need to roll for the d8?

>>1648633
Thanks for running!

>>1648643
Nah, autosuccess.

Thanks for running!