Vangelis sat quietly as Kassandra spoke vehemently about her plans. He had had instances with her where she had criticised the lack of flexibility, mobility and utilisation of the Colchian armies before. In fact, she liked to insult them just on principle from the fact that she wasn't allowed to be in them. Her phalanx - though powerful and strong - was still not allowed to be instated as part of the Colchis forces because they had a woman as their leader. It was only Kassandra's rank as a baroness and Vangelis' benefaction that had stopped her men being seen as a militant faction within the Colchian borders. Her history of successes in the Colchian name had done much to assuage any concerns over this in the Senate and now she fully stood her ground based on her own merit, but something this big indeed needed someone of power backing it from the get go. Someone like Vangelis. And, as he had backed her before, had served with her... and was fully aware of her value to his nation, it made sense for him to be the one that she would approach with this.

And while she had made her insults or issues with the army well known, and had never been shy and voicing her opinions on the slave trade, this was the first time he had seen her angry enough to divulge her whole plan (at least sober). Though the wine was going down quickly too.

As she spoke, Vangelis had gotten comfy in his chair, lifting an ankle to his other leg, letting his knee fall sideways and his back relax. He braced his elbow on the arm of his chair and supported his temple with two upraised fingers as she spoke passionately for her cause. He remained expressionless, his eyes only narrowing at certain obvious points in the conversation and when she was finished her thought silently for a moment, unsure how to approach this situation.

What she was asking for was... too big.

It would not only require the changing of people's minds and attitudes... but a change in the whole economy of the largest agricultural province in the kingdom - if not the whole kingdom itself. If slaves knew they could be bought and serve in an army rather than digs in the depths of the mines there would be an entire demographic shift...

What was asking wasn't a leniency or the backing of her idea. She was asking for him to turn his back on the entire way the kingdom was currently run. To work to restructure it into something new. He wouldn't be going against his father. He would be going against the whole kingdom...

He licked his lips thinking on the plan, mulling over certain options, the benefits she was right to point out... but also the issues it would cause. Were it not implemented right, a change to the slavery system could bankrupt the kingdom.

"I can't stand by that plan, Kassandra." He told her finally, letting his hand to fall over the arm of the chair. "Not on a wing and a prayer that your experiences - even our experiences - on the battlefield will create enough credibility to the validity of what you're saying."

Vangelis took a swallow from his water and continued.

"Your women warriors are a hard no." He told her, his eyes growing serious. "We allow them as archers because it keeps them safer from the dangers of the frontline... it keeps the men focused. A woman would also be less naturally skilled at keeping a powerful warhorse under control if it were to bolt in battle and a single gelding out of control on a field is dangerous to both sides - you know this. Anything can happen out there." He shook his head. "I'll never convince the Senate to allow you to recruit women to your army."

"The slaves..." He paused to curl his lower lip behind his teeth. He was clearly thinking and considering her proposal... "I'll look into." He pointed a sharp finger at her. "There would be restrictions. Severe ones. If you want to break terms of slavery within your own province then there are possibilities, but I cannot allow that to spread. The mines are fuelled by slaves and the mines fuel us. You want economy at all and we need to metal ore that those slaves dig up. We lose that and we lose everything."

"The changes to the military structure, though?" He tilted his head consideringly. "That I might be able to help you work with - even if we have to find another way for you to get the men to implement it."

Vangelis stood up suddenly and moved to refill his glass.

"Here's what you'll do if you're interested in pursuing this further." He instructed, standing with one hand on his hip and his cup at his lips. "Make me an army." He told her. "A small one. Use the soldiers you already have a buy slaves for it. They stay slaves." He made this point clear with an imperious gesture. "Give me a replica of what you want to do. How you would make it work. Then I'll decide on whether you should present it to the Senate."

And on that note, Vangelis left the conversation as it was. He had no power to predict the future and how the Senate would react to the idea, but he was a man who refused to limit someone's ambitions because of possible suspicions that they would go nowhere.

Instead, he allowed Kassandra to retire to her rooms and continue to ruminate on his proposal. And in the mean time... he would work on how to offer the information he had on Lord Elias to the princess of Athenia, without building distrust between the kingdoms...