Talyn

Alecc and Rogers’s faces seemed to freeze at my words. Alecc opened his mouth for just a second, just long enough for him to realize arguing against me on this was pointless.

There was, after all, more than one reason someone kept a close eye on another.

One was if they suspected danger to come from them.

Another was if they were worried the other might draw danger to themselves.

One was for vetting enemies.

The other was for protecting allies.

Mia wasn’t an enemy. She was just a girl. A woman. Innocent…

And my lawful wife.

Even if I couldn’t be the husband she deserved, I could, at the very least, do my job as one and try to protect her.

I cleared my throat, acknowledging Rogers could take his leave, and he did, bowing once more.

Picking up the first paper, I pointed at it thoughtfully before nodding to Alecc.

“Any news of movement?”

“Not yet.” He shook his head solemnly. “Though, we’ve had a couple reports that his temper is worse than normal.”

“Is that so?”

I let my chin rest on my hand as I looked over the papers on my desk. The first one was related to my marriage, and the second document on the stack was a request that had been given during my last audience with the people. I supposed this upcoming audience would be my first with Miavel at my side.

“Hm…” I wondered for a moment what she might say when she saw me next. It would be best for her to show that we weren’t getting along. It would help her. Sure, someone might try to make her a pawn in their scheme, but I knew what kind of a person she was. If someone told her to hurt me, she wouldn’t, not without justifiable cause. And their causes… none were justified.

If it was Miavel that hurt me, as long as she was safe and fine in the end, I would let it happen. But I knew she wouldn't be fine or safe if she did as they asked... so it was best to warn her, to give her reason to question them, as well as keeping her at an arm's length from me.

Besides, with the warning I’d just put in her head, she wouldn’t be easily fooled, not that I doubted her, but it put me a bit more at ease to tell her, even if I had to scare her to do it.

“Our asset told us a few other things as well.”

I looked up at Alecc, nodding once for him to continue.

“A visitor showed up and when they left, several vases were on an order to get replaced.”

“He broke them himself?”

Not that he’d let anyone else do it. Most of his vases were cheap replicas now anyway. Any close examination would show they got replaced often. It wasn’t too serious if he was still just throwing vases though.

“Yes. But there was also a secret visitor.”

How interesting.

“Secret?”

“They came at night," he reported. "Viper couldn’t hear what was said, but shortly after, when a maid went to attend to him…”

“What happened to her?” I asked, prompting him to continue.

“She hasn’t woken up yet. Doctors say she may never.”

I let out a breath. Another innocent caught in the fire. I had a feeling I knew the reasons behind his anger, even before Alecc pulled out a newspaper and set it down in front of me.

“Though, his temper might have been made additionally worse because of this.”

Just a glance at the headline was all I needed to read, yet I picked it up and unfolded it too see all of it in its bright glory.

Do The Women of Cita Breathe?

And that was just the title, in giant bold letters. Under it was an image of two small feminine hands laid flat on the floor next to a tiny corset that was barely wider than the two hands combined and followed by the words, “the Queen was squeezed into a corset that wouldn’t fit a healthy child”. I skimmed the words of the article which boldly stated that the reason I cut the evening short for the two of us was because she couldn’t breathe.

In reality, they weren’t wrong, but they took a bit of liberty in the next sentence by suggesting that Miavel asked to end the evening early. It was quite the opposite, even if she looked like and felt as if she were dying, she would’ve stayed the whole night. All because of what she considered her duty.

All that effort was never put to her own well-being. It had to change. If I had to be the bad guy in order for her to start realizing she wanted to survive and live, then I would be the worst guy.

But I’d never to anything to hurt her.

I’d owed her my life a long time ago.

And then… I owed her even more.

The reason I trusted anyone. The reason I could trust my aides to begin with?

She was the one who opened that door for me, stuck her foot in and refused to back down.

I smiled.

“It seems I had Lilia grab the right maid for the job.”

“You mean the redhead journalist who thinks she’s actually undercover in the palace?”

I snapped my fingers.

“That one.”

My gaze travelled down the page in front of me, to the picture of us as we entered on the dais. Despite not smiling, Miavel was quite the image to see. She looked ready to face an army.

I pursed my lips and handed the newspaper back to Alecc. He held the paper gingerly, fidgeting it in his hands. Seeing that, I waited in the silence for him to speak.

“Will this affect the Queen’s reputation, though?” he asked cautiously.

With a sigh, I shrugged.

“She’ll likely gain more sympathy than anything else, especially with the women around Lady Eileen.” Though, some others might start thinking she’s a pushover and can do with her what they want. They might try to trick her. Another good reason for the warning I had thrown her way.

Alecc nodded thoughtfully before setting us back into the duties of the day. And then is was back to the pile of papers that wouldn’t disappear on their own.

Miavel

By the time we made it to the Emerald Room and the sight and smell of the growing plants calmed me inside, it was time to start my duties as Queen. Break time was over. I was led by Rogers to another room. I had thought I was prepared, but when the doors opened, I looked to Rogers who chuckled with a shrug.

Wow. No help there.

I navigated the room to the closest chair and sat down.

“Alright.” I gazed around at the piles and pointed to the one closest to the door. “We’ll start there and work our way over to me before figuring out the rest of the room.”

Rogers nodded.

Hours later, I was exhausted. I hadn't known presents could be so tiring, especially with Rogers giving me lessons at the same time on the people who had sent them. I sent them to the respective places they were to be used, whether it be for decoration storage, the artifact room where all the valuables were kept, or to either of our personal rooms.

And then it showed up.

“This one is from Lady Eileen.”

“Lady Eileen. Relation?” I started to undo the ribbons on the top.

“Well…”

When Rogers trailed off, I stopped and looked his way. The face he was making… like he wasn’t sure what to say about Lady Eileen. He glanced my way, only to meet my eyes and give a tentative smile.

“Ah, they’re great supporters of our King,” he quickly said. “I’m sure when she takes over from her father that she’ll support you as much as she can. Also, I think she may be the one who will host the first gathering of ladies with an invitation for you.”

“I see.”

Lady Eileen must be a formidable person. Smart enough to take over a noble house on her own, even with the stigma surrounding women in charge. She was highly ranked, enough to host the first party for the new Queen of Thera.

Maybe she'd be a good ally, if she was to host it?

Something I’d learned as I read through the custom books about the Kingdom of Thera was in regards to the queenship duties I’d be taking on. Most of the duties of the queen were to the palace and its people. I mean, another tiny bit was supposed to be to the king too, if mine ever decided to be normal. I wasn't getting my hopes up on that.

As per Thera custom, the first gathering of high society that included the queen was not to be held by the queen herself. Those who supported the queen, whether it be on paper through their houses, some genuinely, would host a party and invite the queen after her first few weeks in power. Following that would be a regular once every month or two, a gathering with all of the ladies for informing both sides as well as any grievances they may hold.

Tianne, my younger sister, as well as our mother, made a big deal of the whole situation. How I must be so thrilled to not have to host as many parties as Tianne would in the future… as she was the future of the Kingdom of Cita, not me. How it was good that the people of Thera would only see as much of me as necessary, nothing excessive… like I was something not worth seeing.

I sighed, recalling all of those words they spit out to me about my future husband, about my future duties, and their silent wishes for me to fall ill or make the king mad enough that his blade took a special shine to me. Of course, their utterances out loud were quite the opposite, but they couldn’t hide it on their faces or in their eyes.

That didn’t change the situation I was in. It didn’t do any good to dwell on such dull memories now.

Without much thought, I lifted the lid of the box, only to find something I couldn’t dare say aloud. Very thin… and airy. And very much not for the marriage I currently had with His Majesty.

Lady Eileen... why? Everyone else sent normal items.

I barely managed to refrain from fanning my cheeks as I felt them heat up uncontrollably. Placing the lid firmly back on the box, I handed it to Rogers.

“This… take this to… my… room.”

The words were hard to get out.

Rogers started to open the lid and I closed it again firmly, shaking my head.

“Your Majesty? Shouldn’t I write down what it is?”

“Don’t. Don’t open that. Don’t write that down. I’ll know which one it is. Just write down that it was sent to my room.”

“Alright?” Rogers looked at me funny, but did as I asked.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I mean, Lady Eileen…

Even if it’s size adjustable, why did you buy that? Don’t you know this was not a marriage of love and romance?

It’s not like I needed to spice up a bedroom life that didn’t exist in the first place.

Right?

Right.