I'd Give Up The World For You

Rukelion kept a close eye on Daisy over the following week. She did seem to be at her happiest when she was coming in from the gardens, which was typical for her. She was at her unhappiest when she was followed around by either maids or guards. 

After two days she confronted him about it. "I can't do this, Rukelion! I hate being followed. I'm inside the castle; nothing is going to get to me here. So can you call them off? Please?"

He could get the guards to watch from a distance rather than shadow her so closely but what was going on with the maids? They were supposed to make things easier for her. Though for someone as independent as she was that could potentially make things more difficult. 

"Alright but you need to carry a bell around with you so you can ring it if you need something. I know they feel inconvenient but they're really only here to help," Rukelion told her. 

Daisy sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I don't need very much help though. I'm not used to this sort of thing. I didn't have servants in my world and I certainly didn't have them here until a few days ago." 

He thought the issue would be resolved after that. And for a while it seemed to be. Until he met with Chancellor Hayward again and was told that the nobles would all come to the capital to swear fealty to him. That would have been good news if not for the fact that Daisy, as the queen, had to greet them as well. 

Rukelion hadn't expected her to do any actual queenly duties. He wanted her to be herself, knowing she wouldn't be happy otherwise. 

Initially, she was fine with the idea of taking a break from her gardening to say hello but then the maids—particularly the head maid—harassed her about how she specifically needed to dress and act. That made her upset all over again. 

"If the head maid knows so much about being proper why doesn't she be the queen?" Daisy complained. 

Rukelion tapped his fingers on the desk angrily. That woman didn't know her place if she was giving her superior grief. It sounded to him like it was time to find a new head maid. Nobody who gave his wife a hard time deserved to be here. This was her home. 

"I'll deal with her," he promised.

It seemed that came across as more of a threat than he meant it to because Daisy's eyes widened. "You aren't going to fire her, are you?"

"Why not? She's giving you a hard time and that isn't in her job description." 

"But then how will she provide for her family?"

"She'll receive severance pay and find a job somewhere else. Getting fired isn't the end of the world, Daisy."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "She may be driving me crazy but she at least deserves the chance to change first. I'll talk to her—"

"No. I'LL talk to her. She clearly isn't listening to you so we'll have to see if she listens to me. If she doesn't do that I'll have to fire her. Is that fair?" Rukelion asked. 

"…I guess so."

Unfortunately, the head maid wasn't the only one giving Daisy a hard time. The head chef didn't want to let her into the kitchen to bake either. He ended up having to do an intervention with all of the higher level servants who wouldn't let her do as she pleased. 

Perhaps he was scarier than he meant to be but he had to lay down the law. They didn't give her any further problems after his little talk and that had been the goal. 

With that issue out of the way, all he had to worry about was dealing with the nobles. If they were rude to Daisy heads were going to roll. Anyone could be replaced. He would simply give their titles to people more deserving. 

Mirea was rotten to its core. The king hadn't been the only problem. The nobility were all greedy pigs willing to turn a blind eye to suffering right in front of them as well. All he needed was an excuse to deal with them. Insulting a member of the royal family was treasonous and that was enough reason to execute anyone. 

When the day came Daisy looked absolutely stunning but rather uncomfortable in the highly fashionable ballgown she was wearing. "…I feel like I'm in a Disney princess movie and that is NOT a good thing." 

Rukelion had no idea what she was talking about but couldn't do anything but reassure her that it would be over soon. "You can get out of it as soon as we're done here. Just stand next to me and smile, alright? You don't really have to talk to them. In fact, it's probably better that you don't." 

"Why? So I don't embarrass you?"

"Are you kidding?! It's so they don't give you a hard time! You could never embarrass me, Daisy. Nobles are notoriously stuffy."

"Ah, so they're going to give me crap for being a commoner. Fun."

The sarcasm in that statement was practically lethal. Rukelion squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. If they say anything they will regret it. I'm just warning you ahead of time what they might be capable of."

"Good to know," Daisy said dryly before allowing him to escort her into the throne room. 

She arranged her skirts as best she could, still looking uncomfortable, before sitting up straight on her throne next to his. They were holding court together for the first time and it hit him that his thoughts from so many years ago had come to fruition. He truly had made her his queen. 

Chilton opened the door not long after and announced, "Chancellor Hayward has arrived with dozens of nobles, Your Majesties. Shall I let them in?"

"Yes," Rukelion told him. 

The door opened and people flooded into the throne room. Very well-dressed people who eyed the decoration changes he had made with skepticism or outright disdain. As Daisy said so sarcastically before, this was going to be fun. 

"Your Majesty, I did not realize your lovely wife would be in attendance today. I was under the impression she was out of town," Chancellor Hayward said silkily.

"She returned about a week ago. May I present Queen Veronica of Katalya and Mirea," he replied in a proud tone leaving no doubt to anyone there that if they insulted her there would be no mercy. 

"Greetings to Her Majesty Queen Veronica," everyone murmured simultaneously as they either bowed or curtsied. 

Daisy managed to keep her face straight but Rukelion could tell she was panicking internally. He reached for her hand to let her know it was alright and that she was doing a good job so far. He hoped she got the message. 

The chancellor then took the opportunity to begin introducing the nobles he had brought with him. "As requested, I have brought the majority of the nobility with me today. There are some who are out in country estates too far to travel this quickly but they will be coming in the near future, I assure you. May I present the Duke and Duchess of Atierre."

The first couple, likely the highest ranked of the dukedoms in this country, stepped forward to pay their respects. The duke spoke as his wife stood there curtsying prettily. 

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. May your rule help Mirea prosper."

As if this man cared about the well-being of his country! He only cared about himself and what his title could grant him. He had heard about this particular duke from Conrad. His family lived in Atierre territory and the taxes were some of the worst in the entire country. 

Rukelion would definitely have to deal with him. How, he wasn't exactly sure yet but he would figure it out. He had promised his men better lives for their families and he had every intention to deliver. 

"Thank you, Duke Atierre," he said loftily. "Next."

This carried on through the other three ducal houses, five earls, six marquises, and too many barons to keep track of. It got incredibly dull fast and he wondered how his father had ever managed to deal with these sorts of things. 

The worst part of being king so far was dealing with the nobles. He didn't have to keep them happy—he could get rid of them whenever he wanted—but for now he had to put on an act. 

If he was going to get rid of them it had to be done with a purpose. He couldn't throw them in jail or execute them for no reason. They might riot and many of them had personal squads of knights working for them. 

Rukelion could handle them all on his own but it would be messy business and he didn't want to upset Daisy. There had to be a smarter way to go about this.. He may be a monster but he absolutely could not let his wife know about it now that he had her back.