On the outskirts of London City, in the camp of the Solomon army, at this moment André was seated in the central position looking at the messenger who was kneeling in front of him. Then he smiled and said:
"You may speak."
"Lady Mónica said that she accepted the meeting and that it will be 100 meters outside the wall. She also added that only one guard would be permitted for each one. That is all she said, my lord."
The messenger again delivered the reason to André.
"I see, good work. Then you may leave."
After the messenger left, in the tent only the high commands of the army remained.
"My lord, it will be very dangerous to go there only with one guard. I believe it would be better to begin the siege and, when they see themselves cornered, negotiate again."
This was General Tom who spoke; the concern could be noticed on his face.
"I agree with General Tom, my lord. A meeting too close to the city walls will be very dangerous. It will be better that you invite her to our camp."
Both generals exposed their position in a loud voice, which made André very content.
The two proposed alternative solutions; they did not only protest without thinking.
André was in favor of the autonomous thinking of his subordinates and did not want them only to follow his orders to the letter.
But at this moment he did not plan to change his opinion.
"I sent her the meeting proposal and told her that she would propose the terms. Now I cannot change my word, so let there be no more talk of it: I will attend the meeting."
André spoke with a strong voice, leaving the subject closed once and for all.
"Then allow me to accompany you, my lord."
Raúl was the first to speak, making the others who were about to propose themselves as candidates desist.
"Very well, Raúl. Then prepare yourself; in one hour we will leave. That is all for now; you may leave. Lucía, stay."
André noticed Lucía's dissatisfied eyes when she heard that she could not meet Mónica de Blair together with him.
Everyone left the tent, leaving André alone with Lucía.
"This is unfair; I bet you planned all of this."
Lucía complained in a spoiled tone. André did not let himself be deceived; he knew that his aunt was only joking.
"How is it possible that I planned this? It is very clear that it was she who proposed the place and the conditions."
André also complained innocently.
"It was you who gave her the opportunity to propose the conditions. You cannot deceive me with these excuses."
Lucía laid bare André's skirmish.
"Very well, but you know that she is a talent for the army; she is not necessarily so for the intelligence department.
You know that General Armond will withdraw from the army and take the post of commander of the police. I need someone to take his post."
"Do you plan to give her the post of general from the beginning? That is a bad idea; even I am against it."
Lucía was surprised by André's plans; even she thought it was a bad idea.
"Of course it is impossible to give her a post of general upon newly entering the army.
But according to how she is in the meeting, I plan to give her the post that Colonel Hugo will leave vacant.
There I will leave her to accumulate military merit in order to then promote her."
André clarified his plans to Lucía.
"Even so I think that colonel is a post too high for her. Perhaps she should be in a lower rank."
Lucía tried to test André's tone regarding this subject.
"If I give her a lower post it is easy for her to be repressed.
You know what the men think about women in the army.
Although I would like to see her functioning in such a hard environment, it is not time for this.
You know that I like very much to appreciate talents; if she has the capacity, I will use whoever it is."
With these words André finished with the subject.
One hour later.
At 100 meters from the wall of London City, at this moment a small wooden table was placed and on each side a small bench.
Mónica was heading toward the meeting point with a little nervousness.
No matter how intelligent and astute one is, this was her first time seated at the negotiation table, with an imminent war ahead in which she had all the odds of losing.
Upon approaching the meeting point, Mónica could see her counterpart.
Upon seeing him she was totally surprised.
She had heard of how young this lord was, but upon seeing him she was even more surprised.
She had not expected him to be so young; according to her sight he was around 13 to 14 years old, no more than that.
Then she felt curiosity about him; she could not imagine how someone so young would have such impressive achievements.
On the other side, André was seated on the small bench waiting for Mónica's arrival.
After a moment, in front of André was standing a beautiful young woman who was in her twenties.
Her beautiful and shining brown hair, her hazel eyes were full of spirituality and showed a great courage, hidden within her rigid movements that demonstrated her inexperience.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Mónica de Blair.
I would have liked to meet you under better circumstances.
Unfortunately your grandfather let himself be influenced by greedy persons and we ended up where we are now."
André greeted Mónica cordially and in his words revealed certain information that would not pass unnoticed by her.
André sought to make Mónica know that there had been someone behind the count and thus lower a little her hostility toward him.
Mónica, who was preparing to greet, changed her face.
According to André's words, her grandfather was instigated by someone.
Being so, it seems that in the negotiations ahead said information would have to be included and the things would be more difficult.
She did not have many hopes of saving her grandfather, but she had to try.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord André Solomon, Viscount of Solomon.
My thoughts are the same as yours; I wish we had met under better circumstances."
Mónica smiled sweetly and sat in front of André.
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