The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen
Time is flying by. My stomach has turned slightly round during the last week. Now, I can see the difference. At this rate, I'll become like a hay bale way sooner than expected, and I'll roll around instead of elegantly walking.
Thank goodness, Ignis doesn't seem concerned that his wife isn't as pretty as before. He wakes me up with a kiss every morning, and he started touching my stomach more often. Now that it's visible where the baby is, he seems more certain in his caresses. Also, his absurd fear of hurting me with the smallest move has decreased enough to allow us a normal life.
Aida says my child is growing stronger and safer, and that the risk is decreasing as time passes. I shouldn't move too much nor do heavy tasks all the same, but it's comforting to know that my child's life isn't in danger with any step.
She also said that the child will soon come to life. It's a matter of days. Oh, already? It seemed like forever, just a month ago.
Like this, I walk around in the Palace with my entourage and meet people as usual, just like before I knew about the child. Everything seems back to normal, except for the shadow of danger who hasn't retreated yet. We're pretending to have relaxed so that they believe we lowered our guards. But we're ready to catch them any moment. Their first wrong step will be the end.
Aida and Tobin don't step away from me, and I'm starting to realise that the King's Shadow has excruciating long turns. He stays with me twelve hours on some days.
«Sir Tobin, I have a question,» I ask him one day.
«Yes, your Majesty?»
«Aren't you displeased to be always with me? I mean, you're the King's Shadow, his personal bodyguard. Yet, he sent you here to protect the Queen. Would you like to go back to your previous job position?»
«I am following my King's orders,» he points out. «At this moment, I'm more required in this position.»
«But aren't you unhappy about it?»
«No, ma'am. I don't dare have preferences when I receive orders. His Majesty said I'm required here, and here I will be.»
«I'm dragging you down,» I point out. «You're the first knight of the Palace, yet you're babysitting the Queen and watching over her while she drinks tea and sleeps all day. I wouldn't like it if I were you.»
«I'm protecting the King's family,» he says. «It's a task his Majesty wouldn't entrust just anyone with.»
«Oh,» I sigh. «You're so loyal. Before the King and I parted ways, a few months ago, you told me to stay by his side. At that moment, I realised that you were loyal to him and would follow his orders. Yet, he left you with me. To protect me or just to check I don't escape; it doesn't make any difference now. I was worried you would resent me for keeping you far from your King.»
Tobin chuckles. It's the first time I see that expression. So, he does know how to laugh! I'm shocked. He's more human than he looks.
«Following his orders is my way of staying close to his Majesty.»
I see. I should learn a little from Tobin. It would be better if listening to Ignis made me feel like that. Still, it seems I need to have him very, very close, to feel calm and pleased.
«Our King is very hard-working,» I comment.
If there's something Tobin and I can talk about freely, it's Ignis's qualities.
«He is, indeed. And his Majesty is gaining experience in ruling every day. Alba is safe in his hands.»
«We all are safe,» I add. «Our future will be bright with him in command.»
As we both nod, Tobin's expression back to his usual plain face, the door is opened, and Aida walks in. She brings hot tea and pastries.
«You were talking about the King,» she realises.
Both Tobin and I are light-hearted right now. Even though his expression doesn't change, there's something particularly peaceful in the way he stands on guard and watches over me. As for me, I'm transparent to my handmaid.
Aida sighs, shaking her head while pouring the tea for me. She stirs a few minutes until it cools down, and she leaves it on the table for me.
As for Aida, she has too many weird habits to be considered a handmaid like any other. First of all, her way of calling people. Especially Ignis and me.
She still calls me Highness, and Tobin has gotten used to it. He doesn't inquire any further, just like he asked nothing after finding out about my powers.
It's a tiny equilibrium between the three of us, and it looks like there isn't any need to reveal our secrets to trust each other.
«Were you here at the time of the coup?» I ask Tobin.
«I was, your Majesty. But I was a simple guard.»
«You knew the King from before... From the battlefield. Would you like to tell me something about back then?»
Ignis was just a teenager when he enlisted in the army. The King approved his idea, hoping he would die during the war and solve his problem without the Queen Dowager feeling any guilt.
«I spent a few months fighting alongside his Majesty. After the war, when the officers were decorated, I was offered to become a guard in the Palace. Given my skills, I rose in level until reaching the inner circle of the Royal Guards. I wasn't the captain until his Majesty's coronation.»
«Oh, you have military decorations!» I exclaim, excited. Oh, well, of course, he does. We're talking, most likely, about the best warrior in the whole Alba. «And my husband? Was he also decorated back then?»
Was he happy and excited about it? Was he nervous about being in the centre of everyone's attention after the war?
«No, your Majesty. That didn't happen. His Majesty's merits were... forgotten.»
His face turns dim. Oh, his face actually doesn't change one bit. It's his aura that darkens. I'm getting used to reading Tobin's mood, so I can understand how he feels right now. Unhappy for the injustice and angry with dead people for treating Ignis in the way they were used to.
«Oh, maybe his role wasn't as decisive that time,» I wonder.
In the end, Ignis has been decorated many times. After his first war, no one could deny his merits. His Royal Jacket is covered by military symbols and decorations, so many that I would struggle if I wanted to count them.
«If not for his Majesty, the battle would have been longer and more painful. We won in a short time, using fewer resources than necessary. It was something worthy to be remembered through history.»
«Really?»
«We were in a shortage of food and weapons at the time. Most of the resources travelled to the main front. We were defending a passage. The enemy troops knew about it, and they thought they could use the chance to invade Alba through there. They were also dreaming about killing or abducting the second Prince to gain tactical advantage and something to bargain for even more riches.»
«They underestimated our King, just like other people used to,» I point out. Surprising Ignis, abducting him for ransom? Oh, they were fools.
«His Majesty was known to be an unloved Prince. Everyone thought he would grow weak because of that. It turns out that it was his strength. Every single soldier fighting with him remembers that battle, and they tell their children about it every day. It was memorable, something that happens only once in centuries... We haven't forgotten about it, and we never will. Even if the Palace nobles don't see the greatness of what was done.»
«No one knows? You shouldn't tell it just to me.»
I want a list... Oh, I'm growing used to asking for lists with names recently.
«I want a list with all the soldiers fighting that battle. Especially those who weren't given a decoration nor a better position.»
«Your Majesty?» Tobin murmurs. He's surprised, but he's not distrusting me. Somehow, he knows I won't cause trouble.
Or, maybe, he's just certain the soldiers won't accept anything that would endanger their King.
«I've been working hard, thinking every day about possible ways to improve the King's reputation,» I explain. «Till now, it has helped a little. Still, it's not enough. I need something more mind-blowing than saving the Queen during a random attempt. And... The best way to fight against the lies about his tyranny is simply the truth.. We don't need to come up with anything because the real stories are already epic enough.»
Chapter 157: Forgotten Heroes
Thank goodness, Ignis doesn't seem concerned that his wife isn't as pretty as before. He wakes me up with a kiss every morning, and he started touching my stomach more often. Now that it's visible where the baby is, he seems more certain in his caresses. Also, his absurd fear of hurting me with the smallest move has decreased enough to allow us a normal life.
Aida says my child is growing stronger and safer, and that the risk is decreasing as time passes. I shouldn't move too much nor do heavy tasks all the same, but it's comforting to know that my child's life isn't in danger with any step.
She also said that the child will soon come to life. It's a matter of days. Oh, already? It seemed like forever, just a month ago.
Like this, I walk around in the Palace with my entourage and meet people as usual, just like before I knew about the child. Everything seems back to normal, except for the shadow of danger who hasn't retreated yet. We're pretending to have relaxed so that they believe we lowered our guards. But we're ready to catch them any moment. Their first wrong step will be the end.
Aida and Tobin don't step away from me, and I'm starting to realise that the King's Shadow has excruciating long turns. He stays with me twelve hours on some days.
«Sir Tobin, I have a question,» I ask him one day.
«Yes, your Majesty?»
«Aren't you displeased to be always with me? I mean, you're the King's Shadow, his personal bodyguard. Yet, he sent you here to protect the Queen. Would you like to go back to your previous job position?»
«I am following my King's orders,» he points out. «At this moment, I'm more required in this position.»
«But aren't you unhappy about it?»
«No, ma'am. I don't dare have preferences when I receive orders. His Majesty said I'm required here, and here I will be.»
«I'm dragging you down,» I point out. «You're the first knight of the Palace, yet you're babysitting the Queen and watching over her while she drinks tea and sleeps all day. I wouldn't like it if I were you.»
«I'm protecting the King's family,» he says. «It's a task his Majesty wouldn't entrust just anyone with.»
«Oh,» I sigh. «You're so loyal. Before the King and I parted ways, a few months ago, you told me to stay by his side. At that moment, I realised that you were loyal to him and would follow his orders. Yet, he left you with me. To protect me or just to check I don't escape; it doesn't make any difference now. I was worried you would resent me for keeping you far from your King.»
Tobin chuckles. It's the first time I see that expression. So, he does know how to laugh! I'm shocked. He's more human than he looks.
«Following his orders is my way of staying close to his Majesty.»
I see. I should learn a little from Tobin. It would be better if listening to Ignis made me feel like that. Still, it seems I need to have him very, very close, to feel calm and pleased.
«Our King is very hard-working,» I comment.
If there's something Tobin and I can talk about freely, it's Ignis's qualities.
«We all are safe,» I add. «Our future will be bright with him in command.»
As we both nod, Tobin's expression back to his usual plain face, the door is opened, and Aida walks in. She brings hot tea and pastries.
«You were talking about the King,» she realises.
Both Tobin and I are light-hearted right now. Even though his expression doesn't change, there's something particularly peaceful in the way he stands on guard and watches over me. As for me, I'm transparent to my handmaid.
Aida sighs, shaking her head while pouring the tea for me. She stirs a few minutes until it cools down, and she leaves it on the table for me.
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She's getting along with Tobin in her own way. They don't understand each other, but they both know that the other has many secrets. Tobin is the King's right-hand man, the first he talks to when there's something to solve. It's obvious he's not as simple as he looks while guarding me.As for Aida, she has too many weird habits to be considered a handmaid like any other. First of all, her way of calling people. Especially Ignis and me.
She still calls me Highness, and Tobin has gotten used to it. He doesn't inquire any further, just like he asked nothing after finding out about my powers.
It's a tiny equilibrium between the three of us, and it looks like there isn't any need to reveal our secrets to trust each other.
«Were you here at the time of the coup?» I ask Tobin.
«I was, your Majesty. But I was a simple guard.»
«You knew the King from before... From the battlefield. Would you like to tell me something about back then?»
Ignis was just a teenager when he enlisted in the army. The King approved his idea, hoping he would die during the war and solve his problem without the Queen Dowager feeling any guilt.
«I spent a few months fighting alongside his Majesty. After the war, when the officers were decorated, I was offered to become a guard in the Palace. Given my skills, I rose in level until reaching the inner circle of the Royal Guards. I wasn't the captain until his Majesty's coronation.»
«Oh, you have military decorations!» I exclaim, excited. Oh, well, of course, he does. We're talking, most likely, about the best warrior in the whole Alba. «And my husband? Was he also decorated back then?»
Was he happy and excited about it? Was he nervous about being in the centre of everyone's attention after the war?
«No, your Majesty. That didn't happen. His Majesty's merits were... forgotten.»
His face turns dim. Oh, his face actually doesn't change one bit. It's his aura that darkens. I'm getting used to reading Tobin's mood, so I can understand how he feels right now. Unhappy for the injustice and angry with dead people for treating Ignis in the way they were used to.
«Oh, maybe his role wasn't as decisive that time,» I wonder.
«If not for his Majesty, the battle would have been longer and more painful. We won in a short time, using fewer resources than necessary. It was something worthy to be remembered through history.»
«Really?»
«We were in a shortage of food and weapons at the time. Most of the resources travelled to the main front. We were defending a passage. The enemy troops knew about it, and they thought they could use the chance to invade Alba through there. They were also dreaming about killing or abducting the second Prince to gain tactical advantage and something to bargain for even more riches.»
«They underestimated our King, just like other people used to,» I point out. Surprising Ignis, abducting him for ransom? Oh, they were fools.
«His Majesty was known to be an unloved Prince. Everyone thought he would grow weak because of that. It turns out that it was his strength. Every single soldier fighting with him remembers that battle, and they tell their children about it every day. It was memorable, something that happens only once in centuries... We haven't forgotten about it, and we never will. Even if the Palace nobles don't see the greatness of what was done.»
«No one knows? You shouldn't tell it just to me.»
I want a list... Oh, I'm growing used to asking for lists with names recently.
«I want a list with all the soldiers fighting that battle. Especially those who weren't given a decoration nor a better position.»
«Your Majesty?» Tobin murmurs. He's surprised, but he's not distrusting me. Somehow, he knows I won't cause trouble.
Or, maybe, he's just certain the soldiers won't accept anything that would endanger their King.
«I've been working hard, thinking every day about possible ways to improve the King's reputation,» I explain. «Till now, it has helped a little. Still, it's not enough. I need something more mind-blowing than saving the Queen during a random attempt. And... The best way to fight against the lies about his tyranny is simply the truth.. We don't need to come up with anything because the real stories are already epic enough.»
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