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~~((The 7th Anniversary Special -- page 5 of 24?!))~~
"Perhaps," said the Queen. "Or perhaps making a statement when I have nothing of substance to say would only serve to unsettle the public further. I imagine many would see it as an admission that I do not know what to do."

"I believe you may be overthinking it, Your Highness," said the same man from before.

Wait a minute. Pauline recognized him. That was Arthur Vollier, eldest son of the wealthiest man in the nation, Domitrus Vollier. So he was serving as an advisor to the Queen now, was he?

"It does not need to be a complicated matter," Arthur went on. "A short, simple statement to clear the air and ensure the people of your attentiveness to the situation. That is all it would be."

"My attentiveness? You believe the people might be questioning my attentiveness?"

"I do not see why you are trying to pick a fight," said Arthur. "This would be an easy way to score points with the general public. Points which you may soon be in need of, no?"

A rather weighty period of silence arrived, until another voice broke it.

"Arthur, what do you mean by--?"

"Enough," said the Queen. "I will only address the nation when I see fit to do so. And I believe this meeting has gone on for too long, already. Everyone is dismissed."

Well, she seemed stressed.

Understandable, Pauline supposed.

When the advisors were all gone, only two minds remained. The Queen and her reaper.

Pauline was not surprised. The Gaolanets had known that the Queen was a servant for many months now. Her father had learned of it shortly after Abolish had been routed. The Queen's grand return to the capital had been cause for celebration, and every lord in the nation had attended the subsequent banquet.

Every lord, that was, save the newest one.

The young Lord Hector Goffe of the Gray Warren had been notably absent from that event, though only a handful of people had even been aware of his newly granted title at the time.