The young queen was not an overly religious individual. Yes, she prayed, and every now and then she sought guidance from her priest, but she much rather preferred to take action over asking her Heavenly Father to bless them with his will. And that was the case now with the arrival of the most recent news. Yes, it placed Isabella in a slightly difficult position, but she was confident in herself. She already had the answer to his question, that was not an issue; however, she had to choose her words carefully in order to appease the masses. Rumor had it that her newly-found position had caused quite the stir amongst her people, and she needn’t be questioned any more beyond that, and certainly not for the misfortunes that had fallen upon these various other regions.

Having been still for quite some time, Isabella shifted her weight just the slightest. Her breathing was moderately deep, and she eyed those that were within her presence. It was rather obvious that they were waiting for a response from her going off of their rigid stance. Her posture straightened, and her hands, which were previously crossed on her lap, moved over to the corresponding armrests on her throne. It was then she turned her attention to Gregar, momentarily locking eyes with him.

“Difficult decisions must be made in difficult times,” she finally responded with a neutral expression on her face. Her words echoed off the walls, and Isabella didn’t have to turn to her scribe to know he was scribbling away according to what was being said. “I will need you to gather an army to accomplish this new mission to Wales. You will be in charge of reassuring that they are fully prepared for the troubles that lay ahead. As always, gather the volunteers first, then choose the rest as deem fit according to the numbers you consider necessary. These people also need our help, and once their land becomes one with ours, we can offer them the proper protection necessary, within reason, to assure their safe arrival. Take into consideration the additional ranks needed for the protection of their women and children. I believe that once we are united, we will be that much stronger, and that more capable of providing the proper help to those in the northern lands.”

Isabella stopped for a moment and toyed with the ring on her right hand. That was one of the signs previously established for him to meet her in her chambers after his dismissal. As always, the young queen had other plans in mind for the new task assigned to him, plans that would need to be shared in secrecy lest she be dethroned, or something worse...

“May I count on you, or are there any concerns troubling your mind at this moment?"