The rest of her free time was spent in the company of the Lenz's and her father, who hung around after finding out how soon she'd be facing the king. Dimia fixed her hair and even added a touch of makeup to the knight, claiming that just because she was in armor didn't mean she couldn't use a bit of beauty when dealing with the king. While Penelope didn't think it as important as it had been for the party, she at least wanted to try and look more than presentable so she didn't fight the noblewoman's plans. Aside from that, most of her time was spent talking over strategies with her father and Oliver on how to go about talking to the king. And then it was time. 

With all of the signatures and letters collected, she began her walk to the council room, feeling her stomach churn nervously. She had separated from the others, wanting a quiet moment alone before she was faced to face with the king. Penelope flickered her gaze up at the ceiling as she neared the room and took in a deep breath. [i]Alright Toreus, here goes nothing.[/i] she thought as she tried to compose herself before stepping inside. 

Having spoken to the king before, she was a little bit more familiar now with the lay out of the room and that alone managed to give her some sort of ease. Albin was sitting on his usual throne, clearly waiting for her arrival and giving orders to Hunter until his attention was drawn away by her appearance. He dismissed his servant before focusing onto the knight with an inviting smile. "Ah lieutenant, please come have a seat." he said with a gesture to the chair across from him. 

Penelope bowed deeply to him before making her way over to sit across from him. She couldn't help but sit a bit ridgedly. With so much riding on this meeting between them, it was impossible to relax. "Thank you for seeing me so soon, your highness." she said politely. "I was just hoping to speak with you on the matter of ending the war again."

"Right." Albin sighed with a small frown. "I considered what you mentioned before I have already made plans to ensure our victory, I'm sure you must have heard some talk of them by now."

"I have, sir." Penelope admitted, shifting slightly. "I understand the reasoning behind your plans but I fear they're the wrong way to go about this situation. I just believe that it would be best to seek a peaceful end to this. Our forces are struggling on the war front and this war has been costly enough as it is. There is no guarantee that Gorm will ally with us and even if they do, that does not mean this war will end anytime soon."

The king pursed his lips. "I see your concerns, Vermillion, but the plan to ally with Gorm is firm. There may be some risks involved by our odds are better this way. There's no guarantee Younis would be willing to settle for a truce anyways."

"This war is likely affecting them just as badly as us." Penelope spoke again. It felt strange to be debating with the king. Usually she just received and followed orders so the change of pace made her slightly soft spoken. "I'm sure something could be arranged. Our outer villages are being decimated, our people slain and our resources being run dry. This war isn't worth it. It'll only leave us in a weakened state if it is to continue."

"The resources we would get from Younis would make up for what we lose." the king said plainly. 

"Not if they're already drained too. Not to mention the portion that would have to go into paying off Gorm for the alliance." Penelope rebutted.

The king let out a long sigh. "Lieutenant, while your passion is admirable, it is for the wrong cause. This has been discussed and approved by my council, not to mention the outside support for it. It is simply the more popular option and the one that has been fully thought out. There's no sense in trying to seek peace with Younis."

Penelope paused and gave the king an apologetic smile. She knew reasoning wouldn't be enough but hopefully the support she had would be. "I'm sorry your majesty but I sincerely disagree. I've been working on this since I returned to the castle and I'm not the only one who believes in this." she explained before holding out the stack of letters and petition to him. "I've acquired the support of many barons, knights, and other such nobles... I believe a couple are even ones on your council, if I'm not mistaken."

The lieutenant watched as the king slowly accepted the papers, staring at them in bewilderment. While it hadn't completely been her intention to catch him off guard, there was a small sense of satisfaction that came from his surprise. She hoped that the papers would help him to see her reasoning. Penelope watched him as his eyes read over the signatures and letters, letting a silence fall between them for a moment so he had time to see the amount of nobles that were on her side. "This idea is not mine alone. Many of your people want a peaceful resolution... Will you give it to them?" she asked him hopefully.

Albin remained silent for a moment, his jaw seemed quite tense as he looked at the papers, and then shifted his gaze up from them to look at Penelope. "I suppose I can try... seeing as how many support it." he muttered. He rubbed a hand over his face. "I'll discuss the details of it with my council."

Penelope stifled a grin and dipped her head graciously to the king. "Thank you, your majesty. I'm certain this will be the best route for all of us."

Albin gave a firm nod. "If that is all, then you are dismissed Miss Vermillion."

"Yes, thank you." Penelope rose from her seat and headed out of the council room. Though the king wasn't thrilled about the change of plans, she was ecstatic. All the work she had done had paid off and they were a step closer to preventing the destruction that Toreus had warned about. Her shoulders felt lighter after her accomplishment and she was practically giddy with glee. As she headed down the corridor, there was skip in her step. She couldn't wait to share the good news with everyone, especially Crow. The thought made her pick up her pace slightly as she headed towards the Great Hall for supper.