Let us see. My Guenevere continued building her reputation for intelligence and responsibility, with kindness increasing a bit as well. From the start, she was suspicious of Meligaunt and told Arthur it was not prudent to have him in the castle. She did as he asked and spoke with Meligaunt, and she did answer that Hrothulf’s death making the Saxons back off was what she had intended, though that and Meligaunt asking about her father selling her off certainly only made her more suspicious towards him.
Her feeling for Arthur are the same, being aromantic and asexual, she does not love him but still sees him as a friend and is rather fond of him; sometimes she wonders if she might be too indulgent towards him, as with the sheep incident, but my Guenevere, ever prim, proper, and formal, has always been a very reserved sort, especially when expressing disagreement and disapproval. She simply tried to prevent Arthur from doing anything too stupid. With the sheep, Guenevere simply asked Arthur if he asked any sheep farmers whether keeping such animals in the castle was a good idea and reminded him they had servants who probably knew more about catching sheep than them. She used light magic to calm the sheep and let Arthur answer Morgana about what was going on. She ultimately had to tell Arthur that having the sheep in the castle was probably only making the diplomatic situation worse.
Meligaunt being in her room only confirmed her prior suspicions that he was plotting something, and she searched the room for what was missing and any possible spells. She spoke to Morgana about it but decided against asking Morgana to check for spells, given how exhausted she was. She was as always restrained when later talking with Arthur about the debacle, simply insisting that they search Meligaunt’s room and asking him not trust Meligaunt. After that, they sat on the edge of the bed and talked about negotiations with Frankland until they fell asleep.
She helped Lancelot by using both dark magic and light magic, thus allowing him to wound Meligaunt. Later, she reluctantly agreed to the oath charm to be allowed to escape in exchange for working for peace between Albion and Frankland. As she figures it, while war can strengthen a nation, the time is not right, nor is it the right opponent when Frankland is being manipulated by Cornelia and the treacherous minister. Besides, peace, good relations, and trade can strengthen a nation just as much. No, she has a longer game in mind; there will be war, but with the Saxons and Cornelia to settle things once and for all. So, there was no harm in taking the oath; besides, she knows well that while she may not be able to directly violate the oath, if need be, she can bend it so far that it breaks on its own.
Regarding the doppleganger escape plan, I guess my Guenevere’s leadership was not high enough to convince the Guenevere doppleganger to help, so it ultimately settled for Morgana’s doppleganger letting Morgana escape while Guenevere stayed behind. She was considering the risk of letting her dear fae cat, Tristan, go with Meligaunt, but she had just healed him from Meligaunt’s wound, and she was not about to take the risk of Meligaunt harvesting dear Tristan for spell components, so she had him escape, hoping he will able to find her and Morgana later.
Regarding the kissing incident with Lancelot, Guenevere was restrained and understanding. She did not mind him sending the trophies, since it was not inappropriate, and she had actually felt quiet sorrow that he felt so much for her but that she, being aromantic and asexual and married, simply could not reciprocate the way he wanted her to. She let him keep talking, told him she thought the spell had only physical effects, and that she would prefer to find a way to break the spell, ultimately accepting his apology and remarking that he did not ask for it either. Guenevere agreed about being friends with Lancelot, being careful not to touch one another, as that was exactly what she had wanted from the start, being friends without any inappropriate activities. She asked about the trophies, told him she did not mind as it did not violate propriety, and that is was good he found an outlet.
Ultimately, she decided to send Lancelot to help Arthur with Meligaunt while she stayed in Frankland, figuring it best to stop the war before it even starts. Lancelot would be better for martial matters, and Guenevere figures that while she has participated in battles, she is much more suited for the political battlefield. There, she is in her element, playing the game of intrigue, masks within masks, machinations ever weaving. She can do the most good there, even with the language barrier. Time is of the essence, so while she wants to find Morgana, she has to trust that letting Morgana escape will have to suffice for the time being, trusting in her ability to take care of herself, and that hopefully Tristan can find her and Morgana both and get them back together.
How high a leadership will Guenevere need to convince the council? Mine is at about 20, with 11 in light magic, and above 20 in dark magic. Her trust with Arthur and Morgana are both at 19, and her trust with Lancelot has improved to 16.
And I’m also happy when people really hesitate over a choice – also makes me feel like I’m doing my job.
I hoped that it would feel cathartic. Thanks for playing!
