Sir Ivan finds the queen standing next to her tactical map. Rather than move right into mentioning the witch, he decides to butter her up a bit first.
“It seems that you are ready for a war strategy rematch,” Ivan says.
Queen Chalyela agrees to a game.
“Can you live through being humiliated yet again?” Chalyela asks with a smirk.
This time Ivan is able to beat the queen within a few moves.
“Impossible!” She says, not happy with the loss.
“My apologies M’Lady, but you warned me against being easy on you,” Ivan says in good humor.
The queen is in a sour mood. “M’Lady, allow me to cheer you up with a magic trick.”
“What sort of trick?” She asks with childlike excitement.
“Watch my hand… do not allow your eyes to wander away,” I van begins.
“What is in my hands?” Ivan asks.
“Nothing,” Chalyela answers, “Your hands are empty.”
“What is that over yonder?” I van asks pointing.
Despite his instruction to keep her eyes on his hands, the queen looks to where Ivan is pointing.”
“Ta da!” Ivan says producing a bright shiny simole.
The queen laughs with delight.
She claps her hands, “How did you do that?”
Ivan cannot believe that she actually fell for his silly trick. This is a woman in need of more enjoyment, he thinks to himself.
Ivan is suddenly very serious, “It warms my heart to hear your laughter,” he says earnestly.
“No, do not do that. I do not want to hear it,” Chalyela says, but I van is not convinced that she wants him to stop.
“Can a gentleman not show chivalry to a beautiful queen now a days?” I van asks.
“Of course, but I am not sure of your intentions.”
“I am not betrothed and you are not betrothed…what is the problem with friendly conversation?”
“I am indeed courting the Bloodletter and I am not comfortable with this type of talk.”
“My apologies, I knew not of your relationship,” Ivan says, not telling the truth.
“It is fine. We have not exactly been…open with our relationship.”
“Why not M’Lady? Love should be proclaimed. You should be announcing it from the rooftops!”
“Perhaps, but can you please keep quiet about the Bloodletter and I? I am not quite ready for all in the kingdom to know.”
“Your secret dies with me!” Ivan says.
“Well it tis not a secret, but I would like it to not to be whispered among every peasant in the village.”
Ivan feels that now is a great time to mention the witch to the queen.
Chalyela detects his change in mood, “What is it Sir Ivan?”
“Is there a problem in the kingdom?”
Ivan sees his opening, “Yes your majesty. You remember the witch that I mentioned to you a few eves ago?”
Chalyela chuckles, but stops quickly when she sees the seriousness on Ivan’s face.
“M’Lady, this witch is indeed real and she is running rampant, and killing as she pleases.”
Ivan continues, “I need your permission to have her executed, or I am afraid we will soon see our numbers dwindling. I have experienced first hand the power of her magic and I have to say, even I am afraid.”
“Where can she be found?”
“She loiters about town square, appearing as but a friendly visitor among our people…even the children. I have seen a pile of bodies in her hut in the forest. I was almost among those bodies.”
Chalyela begins to walk away, and Ivan believes that he has failed at convincing her yet again. With her back turned, she looks at Ivan out of the corner of her eye. “Send her to the pit at once!”
