Page 33 of Of Brides Of Queens

A princess was a witness to her king’s rhyme and reason, most assuredly.

I asked her, “Will King Bring harm you for sneaking out?”

“My king? He will not harm me. I am his princess, and besides, he is not inclined that way. Mutual indifference strangled our love, nothing more.”

The last barrier in me crumbled. “I am happy for that, for I wish for us to see each other often, but I do not wish for your king to rage over your subterfuge or disobedience.”

“Once I wished that my king would rage for me,” she mused in a soggy way. “That was centuries ago. I would like to see you often, too, and I wish that despite knowing that my king will not. And how can that be? I cannot fathom it.”

Yes, well, I had concluded one thing and formed a theory of another.

I stood and slowly paced. Once across the room, I faced her to find she was turned and tracking my movements. “Princess, I recently became a queen. This was a great surprise.”

“One needs only to look at you to understand you are meant to soar above us.”

Her words warmed me. “Along with this queendom surprise came many complexities and dangers. King Change gathers his fifth against me, whispering to humans warped by his beastly magic that riches await them at Hotel Vitale. In short, I flounder, and kings are not forthcoming with teaching me how to go about war.”

“King See does not tutor you?” she asked in great surprise. “He has gone to war for you, and that is an immortal declaration of intention. I had celebrated your ascent to queendom, feeling that you could count on his alliance and experience to guide you.”

“That was a certainty of mine too,” I admitted. “One of the only certainties, but queendom has changed matters between us.”

King See had not responded to my last letter, and so did he intend to tutor me in war by the week’s end?

I had not let many monsters see my sadness over the development with See, but I did feel weary with the emotion. There was a loss and fear and grief to feel with the alterations to my romantic wishes and dreams.

The princess squelched across thyme. “Your sorrow and disappointment are salt in wounds. I wish that queendom had not injured your romance. Clouds hang over the moon and obstruct my view, though brightness shines around them to let me know she is still there.”

I lifted a shoulder. “I am here still. Unexpected though this has been, I must go on as best I can. He will know this new version of himself better soon, and then we can see what might be shared and how. But I cannot wait for a king to teach me war, and I cannot depend on other kings to do so either. If no other opportunities arise to learn war, then I confess a great worry over what a king might demand in payment for his expertise.”

“My king, for example?” she asked.

I nodded. “Your king, yes. He would be my second kingly option for tutorage, yet I do not feel for him what I do for See. Perhaps I am still young in that my heart tangles in the matters of my body.”

Princess Bring slimed closer. “Your Majesty, I feel the truth of what you say, and so you must never say such a thing to my liege. He is too far gone in obsession of you, and he will convince himself to hate you if hope of romance is stolen.”

She’d warned me before, and I regretted not shutting down Bring’s lust during our first meeting. Yet his hope of our romance might delay any war between us for a while longer, and I was thankful for that. “Thank you for the warning.”

The princess started up a slippery pace, and her slime clung readily to thyme. “What will you do to learn war? I would not see you stolen of dignity when begging a king for help. I would not see you without help as a queen.” She stopped, then faced me.“Do you suppose that I might be some help in the matter of war? I have watched any number of them, you know. I possess many insights that might stir your ancient sense of battle. Goodness!” She broke off with a gasp.

Goodness indeed.

“I-I…” She slimed back to the chair and sludged to sitting. “I cannot say what invoked such?—”

“Stirrings of purpose?” I said in undertones. For I had formed a theory not long ago.

Her breaths came fast. “Stirrings indeed. Queen Perantiqua, I have not felt purpose since marrying my king. I am married to his, and so how can I have my own? I am a princess. This is strongly surprising and confusing.”

She did not own the same lens as I.

I, who had seen princes act against kings’ orders when it came to me, only for them to then become my pawns.

And now a princess did the same. She’d felt the stirrings of purpose. A purpose separate to that of her king. One that was entirely her own.

I cast aside thoughts of my obsession and a stronger queendom for now. “Princess Bring, your recital of past wars would be welcome indeed. Very welcome to a new queen. Will you sit with me now?”

“I would like nothing better?”

“Are you certain? Your reply was somewhat of a question too.”

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