Neidr's room was filled with maniacal laughing. He had finally figured out the answer. A tournament, but not just any tournament. A tournament to win the hand of the most powerful woman, politically speaking, in Flirord. Azalea was still focusing on the first prince, but he barely looked her way. His father had decided against the marriage with a falling Ducal house and wanted to take the opportunity to weaken the duchy altogether. The second prince on the other hand had always been madly jealous of his brother. He would chafe at the site of Azalea showering his brother with praises. To be able to take the woman that fawned over his brother? The second prince would certainly be delighted. Furthermore, marrying Azalea meant that her husband would gain control over the duchy as long as her father didn't return. That was a lot of resources and territory, the second Prince would strongly desire it to build up his faction. The first prince didn't care about her resources because he felt that everything in Flirord was his.

Regardless, this should be a good trap to catch the attention of the prince. The key was how to kill him in it. This was actually simple, all Neidr had to do was to make sure the tournament was a battle to the death. The Cerns house, although declining, could at least demand that much. This would certainly attract desperate and confident people all the same to be a part of the tournament. The second Prince, being a member of Royalty would not only be confident enough to join, but also have a chip on his shoulder. If he could win, that would prove something to his father.

No matter the first prince's accomplishments, could he say that he risked his life against the most skilled in the land in single combat? There was another caveat though, the tournament needed another rule relegating the age limit. If older warriors joined in, the second prince wouldn't dare. Amongst his generation though, he should think he is unstoppable.

Neidr smiled, this already presented a clear and present danger to the little shit's life. He just needed to get Azalea to agree, that might be more or less difficult. Additionally, although the king no longer desires the marriage, he hasn't outright done away with it. So, starting a tournament on her own would be seen as spitting on the king's words. The plan wasn't perfect, but it was coming together.

All of that, though, relied on Azalea. He had just royally pissed her off, so he had to figure out a way to get her to agree. The only thing he could think of as assurance was that the second prince would most certainly enter the competition and try to marry her. The problem is that Azalea is dead set on the first prince...

'Hmmm'

What if he framed it a different way? Neidr got up and made his way to Azalea's manor. The guards let him in after knowing his name and led him to a dining area. When Azalea arrived, she had an expressionless face. She down across from Neidr with nary a word. There was a cold atmosphere between Azalea and Neidr as they sipped expensive tea. Azalea spoke up first,

"What do you want?"[Azalea] Neidr shook his head and said,

"I'm here to repay you, not take anything."[Neidr] Azalea smiled and said,

"Oh?"[Azalea] she clapped her hands and called out,

"Gunther, bring the account books, we need to know exactly how much this man needs to repay."[Azalea] Neidr pressed his lips into a line and said,

"I will repay you with an idea, not money."[Neidr] Azalea frowned and said,

"An idea? From your head? How many do you think it will take to repay this debt?"[Azalea] Neidr squinted his eyes and said,

"Dammit, woman, I don't owe you a cent, and you know it! You told me I could use your resources at will!"[Neidr] Azalea pressed her lips into a line a said,

"Do you know no shame? Just because I said that..." Neidr cut her off saying,

"Doesn't mean its true?"[Neidr] Azalea grit her teeth and said,

"What do you want, and don't give me any nonsense about repayment. I haven't been in politics my whole life for nothing."[Azalea] Neidr chuckled and said,

"I have a way to test the king's intentions towards you. Simply request an audience and ask for a marriage date. If one is not provided, plead with him, saying that your duchy is falling apart and that you need this marriage to stabilize the region. There are three different things that could happen. The king could directly support you, through expediting the marriage or sending troops. This means he views you favorably. The second thing is that he allows you to marry someone else as an excuse to get out of the marriage with you. The third is that he ignores you. This last option would be the most effective for him, but if you cry in front of the nobles, and he continues to ignore you, then isn't that a betrayal of his friend Duke Cerns's trust? It wouldn't be a good look."[Neidr] Azalea blinked,

"Why didn't I suspect your strategy to be this shameless? You want an esteemed noble lady to cry in front of the court? I'd rather die."[Azalea]

"My plan gets results. The worst-case scenario, you get to marry the second prince."[Neidr] Azalea narrowed her eyes and asked,

"How is that?"[Azalea]

"He desires your lands and wealth, along with the fact that he is jealous of his brother."[Neidr] Azalea nodded,

"What you say makes sense, but why would he jump in to marry someone his brother has thrown away? Doesn't that make him look like a wretched creature desperate for his brother's scraps?"[Azlaea] Neidr nodded and said,

"That's why we need to build the prestige with a tournament to the death. Only people under twenty-five will be allowed to enter. Marrying you means getting your backing, proving to be a prestigious warrior, and taking something his brother was too blind to see as good."[Neidr]

Azalea nodded,

"I'll think it over."[Azalea]