Kimora had been keeping herself perhaps a little bit more to herself than was common for her. Unlike what might have been whispered, she truly wasn't bitter about the whole thing. Akagi ascending to the throne had always been part of the plan. Granted, she hadn't quite intended for it to happen as it had... No, what frustrated the queen was that Arynn Frey had been made to look like helpless fools, and it had happened right under her watch. Perhaps it was no bad thing that she wasn't sitting on the throne any more.

The knock was a surprise, but one which quick shifted to relief when she saw just who it was who had come in search of her. "You're certainly not interrupting." The queen would answer. "Now there are two things that I shall always have time for." 

With a clap of her hands, some of the furniture, usually kept stored away tidily would spring to life. Their feet would begin to move, carrying them over to the center of the room. Kimora would gesture for her old friend to settle down, whilst the kettle made its way over to them. "How have you been keeping lately?" 

Cordelia was glad she wasn't interrupting, and that the former queen appeared to be in good spirits. She also appeared to be more than willing to have a chat and some tea, which made the King's Hand smile.

The furniture did its little dance and found a spot in the middle of the room, creating a cozy space for Kimora and Cordelia to sit. She walked over to the couch and gently sat down, patting the seating as if she was thanking it for walking over. The kettle came their way as well and soon their cups were full.

"I have been well. I'm very honoured that Akagi chose me to assist him, so I've been busy, but well." Cordelia smiled and lofted her cup of tea from the table, stirring slightly to let it cool down a bit. "What about you, and Kite? Huan asked me to send his regards, he's hoping to get together with his brother soon, but you know how busy life can get."

It was a pleasant, social conversation, at least for the time being, and one which Kimora welcomed.

"Settling down." The monarch replied calmly, and with a smile which would be impossible to distinguish between sincere and a mask. "I have to admit, there is some relief to not bearing the weight of the kingdom of my shoulders. I think that Kite enjoys my being able to spend some time with him, and away from the throne." The former queen allowed a brief pause so as to take a sip of her tea. She couldn't quite remember the last time that she'd been able to enjoy the company of an old friend like this.

"Akagi is doing us all proud." Of course, that was his mother talking. "And I am so very glad that he has people such as yourself still by his side." It showed a certain amount of maturity, she found, that he was willing to welcome and accept some guidance from the old guard, who still had much to offer in terms of wisdom and years lived. "Naturally, as his mother, I still find myself worrying about him, although I suspect that's something which comes with the territory." 

Cordelia was not able to figure out whether it was a genuine smile or not, but she assumed the woman would tell her if something was wrong, so she wouldn't dig deep to find out if the smile hid something.

"I can imagine", she responded with a soft chuckle. Carrying the weight of a whole kingdom on one's shoulders sounded like both a blessing and a curse. When the kingdom blossomed, you were praised for it. When everything went wrong, you were deemed the reason. Retirement and spending time with her husband sounded like a good thing, but Cordelia also knew Kimora and she wondered how long the woman would be able to sit still before getting bored.

She dipped her head slightly in appreciation of the compliment and the remark about the people by Akagi's side. "It's understandable to worry. Akagi still has a youthful side as well, but I'm positive the pressure will shape him into the fine, young man we know he is. He's proven himself to be capable, and I'm sure he will be asking you for advice as well. The Akagi I know wouldn't put his mother in his shadow." She smiled again.

Kimora took a sip of her tea, allowing her mind to wander a little bit. It seemed like everything was going so quickly these days. After centuries of stagnation, thanks in no small part to the clumsy, and complacent blundering of the aristocrats who had removed the Llewellyn's power for so long, Arynn Frey was moving. It was running. The former queen's main concern was ensuring that it didn't fall whilst doing so.

"My greatest concerns are the Eldouir... And perhaps in the long run Nevermere." She spoke the last name carefully. They were notionally allies after all. Akagi was married to their princess, and had children through her. All the same, in the space of a few years, the mountain nation had gone from a small place nobody knew that much about, and who mostly kept to themselves, to being in a position where one way, or another they could arguably be accused of ruling most of Terra Nova.

She didn't focus on them too long however, preferring to bring the subject back to a much more known quantity. "I hope that my son plans to partner with Lorendale, and Nevermere to rid the world of those mad dogs. No good can come from them continuing to exist. Especially now that they have it in their heads that anywhere can be targeted." Yes, the attack at the wall, even months later still left a humiliatingly bitter taste in the old queen's mouth. What she wouldn't give to see those responsible removed from the state of play permanently. 

Cordelia cocked her head to the side, surprised that Kimora was worried about Nevermere. She didn't judge, but was curious to hear why it worried the woman. "The Eldouir, I understand. I'm surprised to hear you mention Nevermere. Can I ask why?" She had her own concerns about the kingdom, but hadn't put them into exact words yet. They were more of a gnawing feeling in her stomach.

The topic shifted to Lorendale. "Yes, I hope so too. I've been talking to him about it. An official alliance with Lorendale would be wonderful. We need all the help we can get, and with we I don't mean us. I mean Terra Nova as a whole. We need to rid ourselves of the redheads." She shook her head softly. "It upsets me greatly when I think about what Dresmond has had to endure. Everyone has their differences, but those poor people are slaves. The Eldouir are a cancer we need to rid ourselves of. We can only hope some justice is brought with that trial to come."

There were some things which Kimora couldn't speak of. Secrets she would take to the grave with her, or at the very least only reveal at times of greatest necessity. They would, of course, damn her just as much as king Cassian. None of this would show on her face of course.

Instead, she would take a small sip of her tea, playing it "cool" as the young ones would say. "Dresmond will not stand for long. Lorendale, Nevermere, and now I hope Arynn Frey will not tolerate the risk for much longer. When it falls, it will likely fall under the dominion of either Lorendale, or Nevermere. Cassian is married to the queen of Lorendale. Their child will inherit both thrones. Given that Nevermere essentially rules Coheed, and Cambria, even by proxy. When that happens, it will leave only Arynn Frey. All it would take is one monarch with big ambitions, to seek to unite all of Terra Nova." 

Of course, it was pure speculation, but it was a thought which played on Kimora's mind. Akagi's wedding should, in theory, ensure peace for the time being. In fifty years? A hundred? The former queen hadn't gotten to where she was now by not looking far head to the future.

Kimora's speculations were something she herself had been thinking about as well, lately. Cordelia took a sip of her tea, gathering her thoughts. "Many soldiers will fall alongside Dresmond. If they, or we, depending on whether we join the fight or not, manage to remove the Eldouir from Dresmond, it will indeed most likely fall under Lorendale or Nevermere. But I'm not sure removing the Eldouir from Dresmond will be successful. We will have to see, but there will be a lot of bloodshed." She paused for another sip. "A united Terra Nova. We can't predict the future, but the idea scares me, because once that ambitious ruler dies, and someone with less ambition takes over, the prior kingdoms will try to break free. It would cause even more bloodshed."

For a peaceful kingdom such as Terra Nova, that much fighting and war sounded exhausting. If they were to be absorbed by a greater kingdom, would they ever be able to break free and regain their autonomy?

The subject of retaking Dresmond was a thorny one indeed. Kimora hoped that her son was thinking about all of the aspects quite as carefully as she had been doing these past few weeks. "Indeed. I would like to discuss matters with some of our more militaristically inclined of our enchanters. Perhaps they might be able to come up with some new tools for dealing with those brutes. Especially their ability to teleport..." If they could at least knock that out then it would prevent their enemies from just running away again to fight - and make someone else's life a misery - another day.

"Quite. As it stands, the kingdoms are being held together with goodwill, and hope." Lorendale was, on all accounts, close to tear itself apart over the issue of the gifteds, and its young ruler seemed rather unable to wrap her head around the issue. Dresmond had already destroyed itself prior to the Eldouir taking over. Coheed's integrity relied upon who could hit whom the hardest, and its tribes were almost always infighting over one thing or another. Kimora could only imagine the chaos if they were forced under the same banner.