Fionna strode into the Advisors' Chambers, the court where her father had met with his advisors for many years. The three advisors who were there jumped upon seeing her.

"Princess!" One exclaimed.

"Queen." The other said, elbowing him in the side.

"Weren't you kidnapped?" The final one asked.

"I was. Then I was let go. And then someone declared war without asking me."

The advisors paled underneath their cloaks.

"Princess, we never meant to offend you..." The first one stated.

"We meant to defend you!" The third one piped up, breaking their linguistic cycle. The other two glared at him.

"And now you've involved Duine in a war that we don't want." Fionna shot back, sitting in her father's throne. "And I was not even allowed enough time to grieve for my father before hearing that I had to rush back here to make sure that you weren't up to any shenanigans!"

The advisors winced. "Princess, that's a little harsh."

"Princess, we are also mourning for our dearly beloved friend and king!"

"Princess, how could you say something so thoughtless? He was our king long before he was your father!"

Fionna clenched the armrests on the throne. "Where is the fourth one?"

"Olivia?"

"She has been gone for days."

"She saw the beloved king die."

Fionna frowned. "That doesn't answer my question. Why are you declaring war on the Unknown Lands without my consent?"

"Princess, what if we impeached you?" The second one said. The first and third ones quickly shushed their comrade.

"The ruler can only be impeached by the people!"

"She's more popular than us, especially by trying to stop a war!"

Fionna rubbed her temples. "This council is disbanded."

"Princess, you don't mean...?" The first one asked.

"There hasn't been a complete disbandment in over 300 years!" The third one squeaked.

"And I am exercising the right." Fionna said, her voice calm.

"Princess, please reconsider. The burden is too much for one to carry, that's why the council of five was created: the ruler and four advisors—" The second one pleaded, before Fionna cut the advisor off.

"Even if I can never leave the throne again, it's better than leaving these people in your hands." She said softly, but firmly.

The advisors slowly began to file out, and Cake poked her head in. "I heard everything that happened. Orders, your majesty?"

"Send a message to the Unknown Lands retracting the statement of war." Fionna said. "Send the notification to Middleground Island and around the country as well."

Cake nodded. "And, um... when will you pick your new council?"

"After the threat of war is completely gone." Fionna sighed. "Before my coronation."

"Okay... and what about the alliance with Dulce?"

"I... what if I married Marshall?"

Cake frowned. "You know as well as I do that the Duine will never accept a demon king so soon after a war was started against them."

"I—"

Fionna was cut off by the appearance of a servant who was out of breath and carrying a scrap of paper. "Your majesty, they've answered! We're at war with the Unknown Lands!"

Fionna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Go quickly, Cake. And try and send our best ambassador."

"What if they eat the ambassador?" Cake asked.

"They won't... send our least tasty-looking and most diplomatic ambassador." Fionna sighed.

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"She didn't declare war on us!" Marshall snapped. "I was with her the whole time! I heard her friend come in and say that war was declared!"

"Well, here is an official declaration of war based upon your actions, so clearly you have no idea how to do anything without me." Honoria hissed back.

"At least wait for a reply!" He growled. "It was her advisors! Let my Fi be crowned before declaring war— she'll retract it!"

"Your 'Fi'? Marshall, do you... have romantic feelings for the girl?" Honoria squinted at her son, frowning.

"Yes, I do." Marshall answered honestly. "And that's why I won't drag my kingdom into this mess!"

Honoria froze. "You can't do that. We have no way of opposing Duine without the vampires."

"I can and will!"

"Marshall, she is a young, weak Duine. There is no way that she wouldn't be manipulated into a war. Do you honestly think she could return your feelings? She is going to marry the Dulce Prince that you turned down. Has she given you any indication that she actually returns the feelings? Has she ever mentioned calling off the wedding?"

"She does return my feelings, and she's probably not going to marry him now that she's the queen of Duine!"

"Oh, Marshall. You're still so young. She doesn't love you. I don't want to see you hurt, and I don't want to see what her soldiers will do to you if you don't fight back. Do you honestly think they see a difference between your kingdom and mine?"

He hesitated, then replied, "I won't hurt her. I refuse."

"Marshall, the girl that you know is likely nothing more than an empty-headed, pretty, easily dominated pawn. She's nothing more than a living version of some sort of bauble. If you want a bauble, I'll get you one. But at least pick a girl with a personality."

"She is not a pawn!" Marshall snarled.

"Then she's a puppet! But she's not an actual person! The Duine are only so loyal to her because of what the government does in her name! If you leave the Nightosphere to face her ships and her steel and her cannons by itself, I will fall, and no idiot girl should ever be enough to come between a mother and her son."

Marshall's hands clenched into fists at his side. "Oh, I'm your son, now? Instead of being that useless child that you ignored? That you didn't care about? She is the first person to actually care about me!"

"It was all a ploy!" Honoria growled back. "It is becoming increasingly easy for you to be manipulated like this! She doesn't really care about you, Marshall! You're just another pawn in the game of politics to her!"

"You're wrong." He spat. "You're wrong, and I refuse to attack her. Just you wait, she'll call this all off."