Catarina sat on the floor of her study.
Maps were spread out around her.
She had spent three hours running simulations. She had analyzed every possible move.
The results were grim.
Option A: Fight the legal battle.
The judges in the regional court were conservative. Many owed favors to Duke Thornbeck.
Victor clearly had Thornbeck's backing. No minor lord had the resources to bribe three senior advisors at once.
Thornbeck wanted a puppet in the Roselle Duchy. He wanted to prove that women couldn't rule during a crisis.
If she went to court, she would lose. The "Times of Threat" clause was vague enough to be exploited.
Option B: Fight with steel.
She could recall her army. She could arrest Victor for treason.
It would take three days for the army to return.
In that time, Victor would use his mercenaries to seize key infrastructure.
Civil war would erupt in the streets. Granaries would burn. Innocents would die.
