Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 260 The Necessary Price

After Orville reached an agreement with the other party, he quickly asked the other party to leave, because he did not want certain rumors that were about to spread in the military camp to be confirmed, so it was better to keep a distance from the other party.

He didn't particularly care about the rumors that would damage his reputation, but being too close to Cleopatra at this time would have a bad influence and easily give people bad associations. The military camp was a serious place, and his political decisions were also serious. He didn't want the soldiers to associate his behavior with personal feelings too much.

So Orville arranged the other party in an independent courtyard in the military camp, which would not attract excessive rumors and could ensure the other party's safety and concealment, and he would not be discovered by King Ptolemy's men in the military camp.

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The military camp was so small that most people who should have known had already learned of Cleopatra's arrival the next morning.

Then they had another heated discussion at the meeting, which even got to the point of quarreling, with people from all sides arguing until their faces turned red.

This is normal, because to be honest, this is a gamble. Some radical people, such as Ivar, did not feel anything wrong and said that his soldiers would be ready to be deployed at any time. Some, such as Alfred, who prefers stability, disagreed. He thought it would be better to follow the procedures and not let the conflict escalate. If Antonius did not resort to force, they would not resort to force either. It would be best to solve the problem through diplomatic means. If the problem could not be solved, they should not drag the Egyptians into the water immediately, as that would not be good for them.

This idea is understandable. Orville listened to the advice on this point. In the end, he only approved the assassination of Antonius, and emphasized that ordinary legion soldiers should not be involved, and King Ptolemy's army should not be attacked as much as possible, just causing chaos. The specific methods and policies were discussed by them, and finally the results were reported to Orville.

If you look into it more deeply, some of Cleopatra's suggestions might be aimed at intensifying the conflict. Orville certainly would not let the other party get everything they want. He did not want to be the first to take action against his own people, but it would not be appropriate to take action against the Egyptians first, as it would reduce the legitimacy of his future rule here. He would force the other party to take action, so that at least his reputation would not be damaged.

After making his idea public, everyone finally had to obey Orville's idea and assigned their respective tasks - Stilicho was in charge of the Roman legionnaires, Ivar was responsible for his brothers, Alfred was in charge of the rear, and Cu Chulainn was responsible for the assassination.
There is no controversy about these matters. Orville's subordinates have always had a clear division of labor and know what they should do.

After the policy was determined, everyone began to "do their homework" using the map provided by Cleopatra. It would probably take two or three days before a perfect plan was put forward.

Orville was not idle during this period. He wrote and sent out a series of letters in succession, hoping to gain the cooperation of people around him.

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That evening, in Cleopatra's courtyard, astronomer Ptolemy was greeting the Egyptian royal family whom he had not seen for a long time.

He bowed humbly, looking even more respectful than he was to Orville. "You have traveled all the way back to your hometown, it's really hard. I have confirmed that you are safe here. His Royal Highness is very concerned about your safety. The guards are his most trusted guards. All those who are at risk of betrayal are unaware of your arrival.

Please rest here with peace of mind. His Royal Highness will find a way to solve the military issues. We will do our best to cooperate and will definitely bring you victory in the end."

Although he had been away from Alexandria for several years, Ptolemy was still very famous among his colleagues in the library due to his academic level. This was even more so for those who knew the reason for Ptolemy's departure. Loyal people were more respected in most cases. Cleopatra changed into a formal dress at this time. She shook her head slightly at Ptolemy: "You have to understand one thing. I couldn't turn a blind eye to everything from the beginning. The result of the soldiers and the prince's battle was directly related to my life and property. How much do I have to not care about my own life and death to hand all these things over to others? In order to survive, I have to do my best.

There are things I haven't told the Romans yet, so I need your help."

Ptolemy asked tentatively: "You said, I will do my best to complete what I can do."

"Go to the library. You are already there, so I don't think anyone will be suspicious. Then ask them to transfer the valuable materials to the ship or another warehouse in advance. I am worried that these precious materials may be damaged in the subsequent chaos.

We intend to hold Soros Island, but there is a prerequisite that Alexander's navy must be contained. I am ready for this, but all actions will eventually have a price, do you understand what I mean?"

Ptolemy vaguely guessed what Cleopatra was trying to do: "Is this appropriate?"

"I have decided. It has its pros and cons."

Knowing that he could not change Cleopatra's decision, Ptolemy sighed after a moment of silence. He tried to convince himself: "Just treat this as a necessary sacrifice. The fights among nobles will always be like this. Please tell me, what will happen after this?"

"You should ask His Royal Highness the Prince. I don't have much ambition in this regard, but he seems to have many ideas that he wants to put into practice."

Ptolemy fell silent again. The subtext of his words was that the power in Egypt might be transferred to the Romans in the future. He knew what Orville had done in Britain. Once this man with a head full of novel ideas came to power, Orville would most likely bring his reforms to Egypt.

As a knowledgeable scholar, he knew that many of what Orwell did was correct, and he also knew that Egypt's long-standing problems were serious and urgently needed reform. However, if this happened, the little power left in the royal family would be further compressed, and the Ptolemaic family would move more towards ruling but not governing after Cleopatra. It was hard to say when Egypt would really become a Roman province.

".His Majesty the Prince is a very fair person. I hope he can bring more good changes."

It is hard to say whether this is good or bad for Egypt. Ptolemy can only comfort himself and Cleopatra in this way.

Cleopatra did not seem to need comfort, nor did she seem flustered. She just nodded in response to Ptolemy, with a gleam in her eyes, obviously thinking about something else.

(End of this chapter)