On the first day of the forthcoming year, two carriages approached an aging church from opposite sides, as had been done for decades at this point. Royal guards accompanied each, and there was a great feeling of cold tension between the two sides. Harsh glares and bitter whispers were traded between the two sides, the ancient treaty the only reason no fight would break out here. For nearly a century ago, well into the terrible war between their countries, some of the more liberal leaders amongst them had, in an attempt at peace, made a treaty that at the very start of each year, their leaders would meet at this church of their forefathers and discuss the war in more peaceful terms. The enchantments written within ensured that any act of direct hostility within the church would bring havoc and ruin upon the perpetrators, and so a blade was never drawn within the church since. However, not a single agreement had ever come from within the walls. Both sides knew that quite well. But perhaps, the new Queen Ophelia hoped, that could change this year.

The young Queen peered out the carriage walls at the towering church, trying to ignore the pit of nervousness in her stomach. Ophelia had been here before as a princess, accompanying her late father, but it was far more intimidating knowing it was her due to enter that room alone with the enemy ruler, not him. Especially with the pressure of her very reputation hanging on a historically quite pointless tradition. As the only living child of her father, she was appointed Queen after her father was slain in combat, her mother having wasted away of sickness mere months before. And before her coronation had even occurred there were murmurs of her being unfit for the throne. At 22 years of age, she was not the youngest ruler to ascend to the throne, but she was no great warrior as her father and brothers had been. She was small, slight, and timid, her pale skin betraying her taste for staying all her time in her castle's library. They believed her weak, unworthy, and cowardly. This meeting, ineffective though it often turned out to be, was her one chance to prove her worth of mind, if not body. So, steeling her nerves, she entered into the belltower which held the meeting room. As she looked over the aged war table, knowing she must update the map to reflect their recent losses, the door was flung open. "Alright flower, let's get this chaff over with." Ophelia had to steel herself once again as Victoria, the freshly crowned Queen of her foes, stormed into the room.

The two queens were alike only in their youth and recency of coronation, different in most other respects. Victoria was the true picture of a warrior queen. Her muscular, athletic skin was bronzed and scarred from her years fighting in the blazing sun. Though short for her kingdom, she still stood over a head taller than the petite Ophelia. Her long black hair was wild and untamed and she wore no jewelry but an iron torc around her neck, contrasting the smooth platinum hair and elegant jewelry Ophelia had spent hours on preparing for this meeting. But most importantly, her kingdom loved her. She was the crown jewel of her people, her skill and strength in combat exemplifying their creed of 'Might Makes Right'. When she took the crown the previous month, on her own 21st birthday, the crowds cheered instead of murmured, and praised instead of whispered. She had nothing to prove, unlike Ophelia...

Ophelia took a seat at the table, but Victoria stayed standing. "So, flower, you know what goes on in these meetings. Talk." Ophelia knew her enemy truly had no clue what went on in diplomatic meetings, having spent all that time in the field, but begrudgingly admired her somehow turning this flaw into a way to retain control. She explained, her voice soft and polite. "Well, we are here to discuss terms of peace and ceasefire for the coming... future." Victoria snorted. They both knew any ceasefires would hardly last a week before hostilities inevitably resumed by themselves. But Ophelia had to keep appearances up, just for a little longer. She continued, her voice soft enough that Victoria had to lean a little to hear it. "Look at the map. We shall ascertain which regions are to be designated as neutral areas, in which neither side will be permitted to fight. For example, this region," She gestured at a large central area, her polished rings glinting in the light from the window, " contains much of our fighting. Declaring it a-" Victoria interrupted. "Yeah, no, I got a better idea." She leaned down, grabbing a quill and scrawling her coat of arms over the region. She grinned cruelly at Ophelia. "I think this is a better way of making us fight less."

Ophelia took a deep breath and leaned over to take the quill, her soft hair brushing over Victoria's arm. "That would be getting ahead of ourselves. We both must understand the terms of our ceasefire first." Victoria scoffed. "Fine, what are the terms?" Ophelia began to explain in her soft, calm tone. "In short, a ceasefire is the cessation of all hostilities between our two parties. It would be advantageous to both our kingdoms to consider the-" Victoria groaned. "Ugh, stop your cawing and just get to the point, flower!" Ophelia softly shook her head, her hair gently swaying. "You must understand all the terms of diplomacy if we are to reach an agreement here. And I am afraid as you are not possessed of the proper knowledge, I must explain it to you." Victoria stood up and growled. "Look, flower, we both know nothing's gonna change here! No matter how much chaff you spew, we're both gonna leave, and then a week later we're crushing your army and taking that valley for ourselves! I don't have time for this! I'm leaving!" She stomped over to the door and was about to open it when Ophelia quietly asked, "Leaving already? What will your people think, Victoria?" Victoria grinned cruelly at her. "Unlike you, my people love me, flower. They won't care." She pulled the door open, but Ophelia smiled. "Will they still love you after they see how weak you are?" 

Victoria stared daggers, her voice a venomous hiss. "How dare you say that, you little-" Ophelia, trying to ignore how Victoria's tone froze the blood in her veins, interrupted. "Really... What will they think when the first thing their beloved Queen does after her coronation is leave an important diplomatic meeting after merely a handful of minutes? Will they think you're brave for running from your responsibilities? Will they think you're strong when you're too weak to win a simple argument against a powerless little girl? Will they trust a Queen who refuses to follow rules and leads them to ruin?" Victoria stood still, growling but unable to think of anything to say. Ophelia gestured for her to return, her emerald rings glinting softly. "It is a battle of minds, and you do not wish for your mind to be seen as weak, do you?" Victoria seethed, but eventually slammed the door shut and stomped over. "Seat yourself. It is much more comfortable." Victoria angrily sat down, looking angry but already somewhat subdued. Ophelia smiled sweetly. "Alright then. Now, listen closely to what I am telling you..."

Ophelia began explaining the many intricacies of diplomacy and politics to her angered but subdued audience. She kept her voice soft and steady as she explained complex topics with the eloquent diction gained from her years spent reading in her library at home. The circuitous language and polysyllabic words went in one ear and out the other for her uneducated adversary, and Ophelia could see a glaze of boredom forming over her eyes. So she kept her attention in other ways, performing elaborate gestures with her beautifully adorned hands, and having her lean over the war table to stare at the map while brushing against her own soft, silky platinum hair. All of which seemed to make Victoria grow even more subdued and tired. "...So you see, in the occasion of a vacuum of power, the Blank spot will be refilled with the surrounding power and influence, all of the power pushing itself in as if it were a whirlpool sucking everything in, the power swirling around until it fills the Blank spot and-" YAAAAAWWWWNNN! Ophelia looked up from the circling movements she was making with her fingers to see Victoria yawning widely, her eyes half-closed. "Feeling exhausted, Victoria?" Victoria glared at her with difficulty. "Yeah... You're so boring, flower... Almost fell asleep from your chaff..." Ophelia giggled deviously. "Perfect~" 

Victoria's sleepy eyes widened. "What...?! You... What did you do to me...!" Ophelia stood up, grinning just as cruelly as Victoria had before. "All I did was utilize my sophisticated knowledge of overcomplicated vocabulary and political detritus to overwhelm your underdeveloped mental faculties. And as of now your sleepy sense are becoming bombarded by my silky and soporific syllables and soothing somnambulic suggestions and filling your weak little mind with sleepiness and relaxation and blankness, all my powerful postulations swirling softly into your weak weak wittle mind..." Victoria was becoming dizzy, her eyes fluttering in confusion. "Whah...?" Ophelia grabbed her chin and forced her head up. "Now look into my eyes. My powerful emerald eyes, pulling you deeper and deeper, overwhelming your puny little mind. My eyes are all there is, you cannot perceive anything but my eyes, you cannot focus on anything but my eyes, you cannot think of anything but my eyes. My eyes overpower you. Say it." Victoria's own amber eyes were growing dim, and she murmured in a soft voice filled with fear and sleepiness, "...Your eyes overpower me..." Ophelia grinned and leaned closer. "And because my eyes overpower you, you are weaker than my eyes. You are weaker than Me. My eyes are stronger than you, therefore I am stronger than you. Say it." Victoria obeyed. "...Your eyes are stronger than me... Therefore you are stronger than me..." Ophelia was practically pressing her nose to Victoria's now. "I am stronger than you. And Might Makes Right, Right? So because I am stronger than you, you must obey me. Say it!" Victoria's response was almost automatic now. "Because you are stronger than me... I must obey you..." Ophelia laughed. "Precisely. Now SLEEP!" She loudly snapped her fingers, and Victoria slumped over, fast asleep. Ophelia took a few deep breaths, then collapsed into her own chair. The adrenaline was wearing off, but she still grinned. Her plan had worked. Victoria was hypnotized. 

Ophelia rested in her chair for a while, the loud snoring of her hypnotized enemy music to her ears. Victoria's brutish little mind was hers to mold now. The feeling of power... It was almost intoxicating. She had planned exactly what to do after hypnotizing her foe, but as she gazed upon Victoria's powerless, vulnerable face, she couldn't help but come up with a plethora of interesting ways to play with her. Nothing too drastic, as her plans greatly benefited from the Queen's status amongst her subjects, but there were still many, many options... And she needed to test her control, after all. 

"Victoria, can you hear me?" Victoria's snores stopped, and she responded in a flat monotone, "Yes." Ophelia stood up, looking down at her. "Perfect. Stand up for me now." Victoria stood up, her body stiff at attention and her eyes still fully closed. Ophelia basked in the sight, then lowered her voice to a silky, yet commanding, tone. "Every word I say is true, Victoria. Say it." Victoria repeated the command in her mindless monotone, and Ophelia smiled in satisfaction. "Exactly. And because everything I say is true, you know what I tell you is true. When I snap my fingers, you will no longer be Queen Victoria, you will be... A fool, yes. A happy, simple fool meant only to amuse me, your Queen. In fact, your name will be 'Fool'. Do you understand, fool?" The fool Victoria nodded obediently, and Ophelia raised her hand. "Three, Two, One, SNAP" 

A shudder went through the fool's body, and her eyes fluttered open, half-lidded and glazed. Her body relaxed and swayed, and an uncharacteristically goofy smile appeared on her face. Ophelia giggled softly in perverse pleasure. "Fool," The fool obediently looked at her, "Amuse your Queen." The fool nodded enthusiastically and began prancing about, performing ridiculous though undeniably elaborate and skillful acrobatics. Her athletic body was clearly not just for show. Her attempts at juggling a few old books, however, were quite embarrassing, and Ophelia cackled at the display. How she wished she had attempted to practice hypnotism before! She could already think of many ways this technique could turn things in her favor back at her castle. And she had so many more ideas for Victoria, as well... But as she considered the idea of making the barbaric queen act like a simple beast, she noticed the sky outside dimming. She sighed. Her induction had lasted longer than she realized. Oh well, perhaps she would utilize her unused ideas on her councilor or adviser. "Fool," the fool looked up from the floor she was dancing on, "Sleep. SNAP" The fool instantly went limp, and returned to snoring soon after.

Ophelia composed herself as she had the entranced girl clean up all the mess she had created, then had them seat themselves again. "You are no longer Fool, you are Queen Victoria again. Now, listen closely." Victoria obediently leaned closer, her hair spilling over the table. "When I snap my fingers, you will wake up. You will forget everything that happened while you were hypnotized, and you will merely believe you dozed off as I explained my complicated and boring diplomatic terms. But in the back of your mind, you will know that You should obey me, and that Everything I say is true. In addition, you will believe all suggestions I give you in regards to strategy were of your own creation. Do you understand, Victoria?" Victoria nodded, her malleable mind soaking everything up. Ophelia grinned cruelly. "Then when I snap my fingers, you will wake up, in Three, Two, One, SNAP" Victoria's eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself up off the table. "Urgh, are you done spewing your chaff, flower? I almost fell asleep, it was so boring!" Ophelia suppressed a chuckle. "Yes, I have concluded my explanation. We may continue on now." Victoria snorted. "Good!"

The two Queens deliberated for a while on where their ceasefire should be enforced. As pointless as always, though Victoria did charitably agree to leave some particularly crucial hamlets alone for the time being. But as the meeting neared its end, Ophelia enacted her plan. "...and finally, the matter of this central region. The place of so much of our kingdom's battles over the years. What do you propose we do about it, Victoria?" Victoria grinned cruelly. "I 'propose' you withdraw all your troops and let us have it!" Ophelia smiled serenely. "Is that really the strong thing to do?" Victoria was taken aback. "What? What are you saying, flower?!" Ophelia masked her immense satisfaction with a calm look of contemplation. "Forcing your enemy to withdraw all their forces so you can win is quite weak. A true warrior would want to defeat her foes, don't You Think?" Victoria's eyes fluttered, her mind freezing for an instant, but Ophelia continued. "In fact, defeating your foes outright is very important, don't You Think? So why would you continue to struggle in such pointless combat where you never truly win? It would be a far better show of your strength to focus on our weaker points which you can crush easily, like this city here, don't You Think?" She gestured with her bejeweled fingers to a city near the north. Victoria stared, her eyes fluttering weakly and her mouth hanging open, before shuddering. Her expression returned to her normal cruel grin, and she laughed. "On second thought, you can keep that region! Not going to look weak by just forcing you to withdraw! And there are plenty of weaker points for us to crush easily!" Ophelia pretended to be intimidated, but secretly she was elated. The fool had even parroted back her own diction to her without realizing. 

Soon the day drew to a close, and Victoria left the tower just as loudly as she had entered. She was quite eager to share her new tactical insights with her councilor. Ophelia, meanwhile, calmly walked down to her carriage, too proud of herself to care about the cold glances. That city, that 'weakpoint', was wholly expendable. Controlling the Central Region, however, would grant her kingdom quite the advantage. Victoria and her kingdom may think they were the ones with power here, but in truth their precious, beloved Queen would bring their downfall. Year after year she would meet with Ophelia, being brought deeper and deeper under her hypnotic control, making exactly the decisions Ophelia told her to make. And city by city, region by region, they would be driven further back, the life squeezed from them, until they had no choice but to surrender... Just like Victoria's mind had...

Ophelia's councilor noticed her satisfaction as she returned to the carriage. "You believe it went well, hm?" Ophelia smiled sweetly, pretending not to notice his condescending tone. "It went quite well. Queen Victoria is like the rest of her people: Aggressive, but so easy to fool..." Her councilor seemed unconvinced. "Mhm. And what happened in this meeting that went so well?" Ophelia began explaining, quieting her voice as the guards yelled for the driver to start. "Well, I was able to convince her to take her focus away from the central region," she spun her finger in a circle before moving it up as demonstration, "up to some weaker points up north, which we can well afford to lose." The councilor began to speak up but was interrupted as Ophelia leaned closer, her hair brushing against his neck. "Of course, I also had to explain all the complicated intricacies of diplomatic vocabulary and stratagems to such a simple-minded Fool like her. For example, I had to explain how a power vacuum is..." And before the carriage had even left the neutral zone, Ophelia's councilor had slumped forward, eyes completely closed, mind completely empty...