<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FFBF80"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Edward d’Alambart</span><br/><span style="font-size: 120%; line-height: 116%;">The Reeve of the King</span></span></span></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o793/Galvin_Fugazi/0f2924cf-6f75-4d40-9624-644687d02b67_zps91f85a12.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;">Edward chuckled when Marina mentioned the immaturity. She had a point there, one barely to overlook. But Edward didn’t blame those young people for it. Maturity always came with responsibility and that was the difference between Marina and the other ones. She had to take care of her lands, the others were just playing knights and ladies.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“They are immature, all of them. None of them is really in charge, they are treating it like some big game in the sandbox. I am not blaming the young Aeide and Amena too much so. They are both a little over their heads now. Yakari had been all the years stowed away with his uncle far off the real action and he has to learn the right way in the snake pit now. But he is a honest guy with a good soul and some bright mind. He will make his way, I am sure about that. And Amena, well, she is like a daughter to me, which makes it hard to be angry with her. She had all the years been a meek young girl, silent and obedient, finding her mission in tending to the Queen and the King. There had been no politics in her life and no men. That she fell head over heels for Yakari was as unexpected as it was caused by her father trying to take her away and punish her for not following his orders. But the two are fitting well together, I am not worried that they will quickly mature.”</span><br/> <br/>His eyes tried to read the expression on Marina’s face. Hearing of what happened yesterday made him worried. Coincidences happen in life, but some were just too perfect. And Yakari had nailed Sir Gregorio’s ambitions down pretty well.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“I wish I could say the same of the other nobles. You have to be careful Marina, those two guys are both a big danger for you. And unfortunately not only for your lands, but for yourself too. You haven’t witnessed all that happened yesterday here and not all nobles are displaying their goals in the open yet. Leon undoubtedly runs for King and that means that Abel and Alexander are running too, just to keep him away from the throne, if not out of their own ambitions. But they don’t know yet that Ines will stay on the throne and despite her young age she isn’t looking for a husband right now. So maybe the road to the throne is blocked and that will quickly shift the targets of the notorious trouble-makers away from Ipale, back to their homelands.”</span><br/> <br/>He sighed and a worried look appeared on his face.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“Yakari was right with Gregorio’s ambitions. He wants your land, he always wanted it. Your father had held the Pescari down with pure force, like he did with the other houses around you. But all of them will test your hold over your land, Marina. In their eyes you are a weak young girl, although we both know that you are far from that. Your problem is that you can’t ride at top of your knights into the battle. You can’t show them on the field how much you want to remain victorious. And that will always allow for doubt in your men and a clever opponent – and unfortunately you have a lot of clever opponents around you – may use that to pry your knights away from you. The coincidental appearance of Sir Gregorio yesterday may just show you how clever he is. I doubt it was coincidence. But you will never know unless he tells you.”</span><br/> <br/>Edward pressed her hand and he knew that Marina didn’t know enough about the unlucky alliances forming north of her to understand how dangerous Alexander may be.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“Alexander on the other hand. Well, I know you are a bright girl, Marina, I don’t need to tell you who Alexander is. But what you need to know is that Alexander and Leon have never clashed before, but it is unavoidable if one of them feels threatened by the other. Leon won’t accept being surrounded by Alexander and you and he’s some clever bastard. I have some feeling that he is siding with the Bleddyn girl, although they are showing off that they are enemies. If Leon wants to force Alexander out and remove him from his land, then he will side with Gregorio, let Gregorio and Adelaide attack your lands and when Alexander comes to your help, he will swipe Alexander’s  remaining troops from Eastshire. And believe me the last thing I want is a Leon and his alliances dominating the center and South of Erathia. That would be the end of the kingdom as it is. Some other would quickly bend their knees to Leon and the refusing ones would be crushed. I may indeed send some troops to Tosisi to back you up for the time being. It may stop some people if they know that the crown is behind you.”</span></div>