The Queen had fallen silent for a moment before smiling to him in a very pleased manner, before taking a look at the wine in her glass and setting it aside. Standing up, she drew a long breath and then turned to give him a close hug, a smile playing on her lips at the time.<strong>"I needed an idea like that, I am not too proud to say that it is better than most of what I came up with. I would say all, but that might be a bit too much for my ego."</strong>She winked at this but smiled, seeming to think on it while holding him close for a few moments, speaking seriously to his ear.<br/><br/><strong>"It would benefit House Wynt, but I can also see it benefitting many others. It means taking risks, the Spaniards claim to have been lucky but more than a few ships have been seen leaving and never returning as well. There is a certain amount of risk involved in such ventures, but that is a good reason to open the options but not insist on them all being tightly tied to the throne."</strong>She smiled to him in a pleased fashion, before nodding her heaad in a determined fashion.<strong>"I think it is an option worth pursuing. Making the declaration we will not be partaking in the war when we the crown are considering making use of the moment to set sail upon the west. I believe there are wide-eyed wanderers and eager dreamers who would gladly jump aboard, as well as poor hoping for a better chance out there. Colonizing as well as treasure-hunting could prove beneficial in the long run."</strong>She hummed, before looking at his face intently.<br/><br/><strong>"Now as for the archmage, well. The House Auri is an old, minor house with few larger ties, they have long maintained a position to the north, near the Hadrian Wall, where they have kept hold of a large keep as well as the surrounding lands. Their position has not improved mainly because the same reasons as House Wynt had before. Keeping to themselves, focusing on internal matters more than the politics of the court, and a measure of belief in the old ways."</strong>She smiled a hint at this, but then allowed a long sigh to escape her mouth.<strong>"Alexandra d'Auri was the firstborn daughter of the house, and the heiress, the current head of their house being fourty years already. It is a large hit to them, but thankfully their family does have cousins that could take up the leading role, as well as uncles to take the place of their current head, but in the present moment, the scandal is likely to harm them if it spreads too much."</strong>She allowed a sigh from her lips, before looking a bit guilty.<br/><br/><strong>"Ah, as for the cardinal, I had hopes you might convince your mother to allow him to visit. He is aware she is not... erm, born and bred in the isles, which means he might seek to appeal to her, as another foreigner. The man is also a flirt who prefers the charm of older women, though is cold as ice to any younger women. Still, I worry about how things would turn out. I don't have doubts about House Wynt, but the man is both annoying and yet at times frighteningly convincing."</strong>