Diana was never one for physical affection, except for when it was required as a formality. So when Prince Hemlock held out his hands as if to embrace her, Diana felt unsure of what to do; she doubted he actually meant to embrace her at all, and so she did not move in response. When the prince spoke further about their plans, Diana's demeanor faltered a bit when he told her the choice would be left to her. Yes, she was a strategist, but she hadn't exactly agreed to such a risky maneuver quite yet. But this momentary sense of panic was nigh unnoticeable; this was the prince, and showing any sign of weakness in front of him would not be in her favor. In truth, even [i]she[/i] would scold herself for showing any hesitation or fear. This was unexpected, yes, but not frightening. Diana straightened her posture before speaking: [color=ff69b4]"What did you have in mind, milord?"[/color]

Diana's eyes narrowed, as if she was concentrating. In truth, she was; in her head, Diana carefully weighed the prince's words, considering the possible results of each plan that he proposed. The first option: a full-frontal assault. She'd already considered the pros and cons of such a thing, and had indeed decided it was possible. But when she turned to look at the four Pidgeottos-and realized that would be all they had-she decided to reconsider. Four Pidgeottos is a small force, yes, but perhaps a bit too small. Flying-type Pokemon such as Pidgeotto were vulnerable to archers-such as herself-and could be easily knocked out of the sky with a well-placed projectile. And if they wanted to get their force in and out, they would require all four Pidgeottos to be in good condition to fly. A full-on assault in enemy territory is...incompatible with such a requirement. Personally, Diana was fonder of more...covert strikes. As such, she ruled out the first option as a possibility.

Then came the prince's second option, infiltrating the tavern as travelers. This one suited Diana a bit more as she contemplated Hemlock's proposal. Would it be that difficult to fly just past the front lines, put their Pidgeottos into Apriballs, and walk into town as if they were Kantonian travelers? With the war going on, surely the locals-and the guards-wouldn't pay them much attention if they dressed as civilians. The tavern wasn't far, and surely they would go unnoticed inside. Prince Teal's allies are unlikely to be wary of being followed, given the manner in which Hemlock obtained knowledge of their location. They would think their meeting was entirely secret, known only to them. Perhaps they could wait for prince Teal to leave the tavern and travel to a less populated area of town? Or better yet, follow him outside of town? He might feel safer traveling with his allies, after all. Even if he traveled by air, the Pidgeottos would be ready. Diana decided she liked this option very much.

Then the prince proposed his third option: acting as allies to the prince. Diana frowned as she thought about it; wouldn't he be wary of a group of strangers who just so happened to offer him help? After all, he was supposed to be at the tavern in secret. A group of "mercenaries" knowing you're secretly royalty would likely make him suspicious, and that was the last thing they wanted when they were attempting to be incognito. In addition, any mercenaries willing to aid their home country would likely have already pledged themselves to the main military force for a cash reward; the existence of free agents in wartime is...unlikely. Yes, the prince would need allies, but that course of action wouldn't work at this point in prince Teal's plan. If it were simply one "mercenary", or the prince's plans were more publicly known, then perhaps. But at this moment in time, it would seem too suspicious to him and his allies. So, Diana ruled that option out in her head, choosing to settle for prince Hemlock's second plan.

[color=ff69b4]"I...quite like your second plan, milord,"[/color] Diana said after a few moments of silence. [color=ff69b4]"The prince isn't going to be wary of being followed, since he believes his meeting at the tavern to be known only to him and his allies. Wartime is chaotic, and a group of travelers in a tavern isn't anything remarkable. We would go unnoticed,"[/color] she explained. [color=ff69b4]"Your first plan could work in theory, but with such a small flying force, the risk is too great if you are to accompany us. The third...I doubt prince Teal would easily trust a group of mercenaries who so suddenly and willingly offer their services to him, especially given his desire to conceal his identity. After all, wouldn't his father have hired mercenaries for him to begin with instead of sending out covert messages to agents of his choosing? Infiltrating the tavern is safer, especially if we conceal our Apriballs. We can wait for him to leave, perhaps follow him into a less populated part of town? It's also possible that he leaves town entirely, which would be even more beneficial to us, as we could attack him away from any pesky guards or civilians."[/color]