It certainly had not been her first thought, not with her arrival and landing in Oak Town having been so recent even. But there was truly little option presented to her, the embroidered envelope alone being enough to indicate it being a thing of importance, the actual contents all but assuring that reality to her. An invitation to Hargeon, not on behalf of any party in particular, nor one much of a reason given. At least not one that would have been said out loud, nor certainly written with ink onto such a powerful document, but the implication was clear enough.

Astrid’s recent time in Crocus, the powerplay that she had orchestrated and used to gain her standing, an even higher standing within the Senate, that of one of the few Reigning Senators within the current senate, the first in Oak Town’s history since becoming a part of Fiore. It was an accomplishment that most political figures could only dream and wish to achieve, which only seemed to both further the envy and disdain that silently was held towards Astrid. She had become a pariah of sorts; the allies that she possessed being few and far between. Most of those that she did have as allies were held almost entirely in Oak Town, all of the representatives hailing from her city were selected and put into positions of power by her hand and influence. Outside of Oak there was Crocus that presented a healthy amount of allies, those alliances forged through her close personal relationship with the Lady Tsara, the Reigning Senator of Crocus and considered the most powerful member of the Senate.

Hargeon presented a unique scenario for Astrid as far as her political outlook. If even just a month prior, it would have stood as an invaluable asset to her, what leverage and support she had of the city tied to the active Blood Pact signed by Alisa Vollan, the leader of Blue Pegasus. Now though, the aid granted was nowhere near what it had once been. It was not something to be dismissed, but certainly now lacked the weight still. As Astrid were concerned though, there would still be reason enough to venture to Hargeon, beyond whatever the invitation seemed to convey, if for no other reason than to reunite with Alisa Vollan once again. Their last encounter, while eventful and certainly beneficial to her, also left her feeling owed. If there were nothing that stood to come of a return to Hargeon, then at the least it would be a pound of flesh owed to her.

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