"Let's go together."

Carlota collects a sheaf of transcripts from one of her servants on the way out of the Mansion and then they can head into the palace. She contemplates saying something to Alexeara to the effect of “I am sorry I assumed that the Church had unreasonable priorities instead of just deeply unreasonable problems” and decides that they do not have that kind of relationship. They can have that kind of relationship once they’ve taken Razmiran.

Even the Queen’s paladin friend and adventuring companion doesn’t get a meeting instantly so they’re shown to a lovely sitting room. Carlota reads the transcripts. Her assistant has underlined the important bits. 

“I understand that you probably cannot compromise on torture but I think you should on the less important matters be willing to let Fraga and Cerdanya buy your nonparticipation on Urban Order’s measures that are probably a bad idea but not actually very important. You’re going to need the rural nobility for the antiwar fights, and there’s a lot more at stake in those.”

"...I would be willing, if they’d tried to negotiate something. You’re going to tell me that I should have started negotiations instead of waiting for them."

“Actually I have no criticisms right now of how you’ve been spending your time and attention. I was missing some context on what else you had to worry about. But I think it’d be a good idea to speak to them about it tomorrow. They would like to have you as an ally. If we play it right we can make sure they find it reassuring rather than concerning that you are marrying me, and tomorrow’s the right time to set the tone there. And - if their mayor is no good, the Queen can fire him. Public executions - I’ll vote with the Church but I’m genuinely not sure it’s a bad idea, with trust in the state where it presently stands.”

"You think public executions would be…reassuring? Do you expect people won’t trust that executions are actually being performed, or that they are imagining the executions far worse than they are?"

“Both, I imagine. Mostly I think they just don’t trust a word that anyone - I had a man on my staff who handled a report of ghost activity very stupidly and caused me several weeks of headaches, so I reassigned him to a different position, and learned two months later that everyone else had been assuming I’d had him killed.”

“Yes. It is absolutely true that some people will - watch it to indulge in watching others die - but also people will watch it and know what actually happened. And unless we lose the torturous executions fight they won’t be watching others suffer….if I convince you too effectively then you will be unwilling to trade with the conservative nobles for their support on antiwar measures. The Lord Mayor does seem like an actually bad idea, if that helps.”

"I’ll talk to them in the morning."

She considers an appreciative smile and then decides that would be manipulative and she should separate the interactions where she tries to project adoring happiness at Alexeara and the ones where she tries to get him to do politically sensible things. This is the latter kind, obviously. “Fraga thinks of you as a natural ally and feels frustrated that you end up arguing in committee. Cerdanya I think has less of a desire to think of himself as an ally to the Church but is quite sincerely anti-war.” She shuffles through the other transcripts. “And if you’re going to try to get the constitution to require the Church’s approval for war Requena’s going to be very passionately opposed and Fraga’s coalition contains most of the nobles willing to openly go against him.”

“Her majesty will see you now.” They are issued into another sitting room, not very different from the one they were in except that this one contains the queen of Cheliax.

Why is Carlota wearing a sword - Oh. “Congratulations.” Lilia, we are going to talk about this later. “Though I gather you are not here merely to give me the good news?”

Lilia is very pleased with herself about this. Carlota of course graciously accepts the Queen’s congratulations and doesn’t even notice the Queen noticing anything. She is planning to allow Alexeara to speak because he’s the one who is friends with the Queen.

"That is correct." He'd really rather not inform her of his engagement at all. "We wished to inform you that our dinner tonight, with Count Ardiaca, the Archdukes Reqena, Narikopolus, and Bainilus, and others, was interrupted by Felandriel Morgethai, who told us that Mephistopheles is ruling Razmiran and that while she had offered to help, His Majesty the King-Consort declined to forswear invading Andoran in exchange. Following this revelation, many of those present thought to take what actions they could to reassure and support Andoran, with your permission."

She does not very much like the idea of Chelish foreign policy being set by foreign wizards showing up and making demands of convention delegates, especially if it keeps happening tomorrow. As for Morgethai and Andoran - "We would ask that our lords and citizens refrain from taking any significant actions on this matter, for at least a day or two while we consult with our advisors and decide on a course of action. You and they may of course take any private action which would not normally require our approval, but - nothing where, should we decide against action anyone might feel that a commitment was violated. In any related matter in which our lords and citizens would be expected to be acting with our permission, they should not act before Fireday."

It would be rather difficult to have enough in place before then anyway. Carlota wants to know whether the Queen is constrained from fighting Mephistopheles and if she meant to constrain her lords by that as well. She is not going to ask. …she probably would, if she were here alone. But she does not want to give Alexeara any headaches and it’s not as if arguing with the Queen about a secret Mephistopheles related deal could possibly be productive. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Obviously if she were constrained from fighting Mephistopheles she wouldn’t be able to say so and people would just have to infer it from the fact that she’s not fighting Mephistopheles. 

Yes but Carlota’s not used to thinking about the implications of people making deals with Mephistopheles! It’s going to take her a bit to rederive them!

"If we have further advice or directives for our lords and citizens, we will make them known before Fireday. Were there other matters, or anything else which arose from Morgethai’s visit which you wish to bring to my attention?"

"Only that she also told us that you and the archmages were aware of Mephistopheles’ presence in Razmiran, but unable to intervene yourselves." She of course knows, and probably knows that Morgethai knows, but may not know that Morgethai is going around telling other people.

"We imagine that if that were the case we would have made it known already unless somehow prevented."

Lilia cares quite a lot, actually, about whether her mother has a deal with Mephistopheles, as it’s one of those cases where serving her mother and serving her mother’s interests would diverge quite a lot - or not, depending how the deal is specified. 

Carlota is of course horrified at the idea the Queen would make any kind of deal with Mephistopheles and is concealing it to the best of her abilities by reminding herself that the important thing is to win the war and they have barely started thinking about how they can help make that happen. She’s also finding it abruptly frightening to be in the presence of the Queen now that she has feelings about the Queen more complicated than gratitude and loyalty. Her hand is trembling slightly. You’d have to be supernaturally perceptive to pick up on it but awkwardly everyone present is.

 “Thank you, your Majesty," she manages after a moment.

"We are always glad to have lords who will come to us at once with such matters. I hope the rest of your evening is less eventful."

“I’ll go back to the Mansion and pass the Queen’s instructions along. …should I assume the church has spoken to all the ninth circle priests -”