"I will handle it. Do not concern yourself with the methods."
Those simple words had lifted the shadow that had loomed over her. Everything, she believed, would soon return to how it should be. Confidence radiated from her face.
Her reverie was interrupted by hurried footsteps. Her elder brother approached, his expression anxious.
"Your Grace, can Michael truly be trusted?" he asked, his voice trembling with apprehension.
Guinevere turned to him, her smile unwavering.
"Why do you ask, dear brother? Is there any reason not to trust him?"
Her brother, Chancellor Guinness, furrowed his brow and shook his head.
"According to his letter, he claims he can send the Crown Prince and the five chieftains back without releasing them. I find that hard to believe."
Guinevere shrugged dismissively.
"Why not? This is the man who killed an emperor. Handling a few soldiers should be trivial for him. Besides, wasn't it you who suggested involving him in the first place?"
