Her Graceful War Song

Lisandra continued, "The irony is, when I was a grand princess, I could call for women to join the ranks of government without hesitation. Now that I am the queen, I must move slowly, cautiously, balancing all the factions, weakening their hostility and wariness toward me. There are so many things to consider and so many forces at play. At times, I grow impatient, and I wish I could simply rid myself of those who oppose me."

Carissa thought for a moment before replying, "In truth, whether one is a king or an official, man or woman, I believe their goal is the same, Your Majesty. It's to ensure the long-term stability of the kingdom and the peace and prosperity of the people.

"When the nation prospers and war is no longer a threat, any reforms you wish to make will face less resistance. But for now, you must first secure your position, Your Majesty."

Her meaning was subtle, but Lisandra understood clearly. The kingdom was still in turmoil, with various factions causing obstacles. Simply maintaining stability in the court was already an immense challenge.

If she pushed for radical reforms now, she wouldn't even be able to secure her throne. In that case, how could she even think about the future?

Violet nodded in agreement with Carissa's assessment. "There is more than one way to accomplish a goal. Confronting them head-on is one way, but it's the worst one. Changing the mindset of a single person is difficult enough-changing traditions that have lasted for a thousand years is even harder. However, you can plant the idea now, Your Majesty. Over time, there will be those who follow in your footsteps, little by little."

After a brief pause, she added cautiously, "Just like when Cari and I trained in Meadow Ridge—many refused to accept us at first. But we proved ourselves by defeating them one by one. Words alone won't change anything. The best way is to be capable and prove yourself through action."

Lisandra fell into deep thought, seriously considering their words.

After a while, she said, "You're right-I've been too impatient. I feel this way because this has been on my mind for so many years, and it already feels like such a long wait. But this kingdom isn't ready yet, and neither are the women. They're not strong enough to compete with men just yet. They need time, and so do I."

Lisandra didn't continue the topic and instead relaxed, chatting with them about more personal matters.

Sitting on the throne meant she no longer had friends in court-only court officials and ministers. But with these two foreign women, she could talk like a friend, and it felt comforting.

Lisandra preferred listening to Violet since Carissa, as an envoy of Starhaven, couldn't fully set aside her official role. Her words were always careful and reserved, often speaking in hints rather than plainly.

On the other hand, Violet spoke without hesitation, unafraid to voice her thoughts. With everything she had been doing in secret, she had developed her own views on right and wrong, and her words often carried insight.

They also talked about family, friendship, and love.noveldrama

Lisandra said these were the most beautiful emotions in the world. She longed to

have them all, but if she couldn't, she wouldn't force it.

After all, there would always be regrets in life.

Regret wasn't beautiful, nor was it something to be celebrated-but it was, undeniably, part of life.

Overall, the conversation was pleasant.

They spoke for nearly two hours before finally taking their leave. Lisandra watched their retreating figures, picking up her now-cold

coffee. In the stifling heat of net

night, she had felt like a regular woman, sharing her heart with friends.

It felt truly wonderful.

She hoped to be friends with the people of Starhaven. It would be good for both nations.

Yet, few officials supported her. Even her most trusted ministers believed that neighboring countries were enemies, not potential friends. They thought any alliance was only temporary, based on mutual benefit, and warned her not to be too softhearted.

She wasn't softhearted—she just didn't want another war.

So, for this negotiation, she invited mediators, hoping both nations would make compromises to keep the peace and spare the people from the suffering of war again.