Dear ML subordinate of chapter 25: You're WRONG. You can't excuse your failure to help her by citing your own single-minded devotion to protect your citizens, if she IS the very reason you could protect them so single-mindedly, in the first place: having her as a convenient cover spared you all from an open war with the royal family, thus sparing you all from having to fight on two open fronts at the same time, the beasts on one side, and the royal family on the other... So, no, you weren't just passive victims saddled with the annoying princess, you KEPT UP with that engagement because you realized there was some benefit to you too: the convenience of having her as a distraction and a deterrant from an open war with the royals... You wouldn't have had the option to focus that much of your time and resources on helping your citizens, if you'd been faced with an open war with the royals at the exact same time... thus, do give some recognition to the one who let herself be used FOR YEARS on end as as a convenient war detarrant, between you and the royals... because SHE's the reason you were free from an open fight on one side (with the royals), enough to be able to devote so much attention to the issues on the other side (as in, to the issues back home). You can't assuage your guilt by citing that as an excuse if you were only able to do that thanks to the engagement itself, ...thus USING her in your own way (and all that, while mocking her from behind her back, even) too! Admit your own part in the wrongs, if you don't want to be cast in the same light as the royals that you hate.
Dear ML subordinate of chapter 25: You're WRONG. You can't excuse your failure to help her by citing your own single-minded devotion to protect your citizens, if she IS the very reason you could protect them so single-mindedly, in the first place: having her as a convenient cover spared you all from an open war with the royal family, thus sparing you all from having to fight on two open fronts at the same time, the beasts on one side, and the royal family on the other... So, no, you weren't just passive victims saddled with the annoying princess, you KEPT UP with that engagement because you realized there was some benefit to you too: the convenience of having her as a distraction and a deterrant from an open war with the royals... You wouldn't have had the option to focus that much of your time and resources on helping your citizens, if you'd been faced with an open war with the royals at the exact same time... thus, do give some recognition to the one who let herself be used FOR YEARS on end as as a convenient war detarrant, between you and the royals... because SHE's the reason you were free from an open fight on one side (with the royals), enough to be able to devote so much attention to the issues on the other side (as in, to the issues back home). You can't assuage your guilt by citing that as an excuse if you were only able to do that thanks to the engagement itself, ...thus USING her in your own way (and all that, while mocking her from behind her back, even) too! Admit your own part in the wrongs, if you don't want to be cast in the same light as the royals that you hate.