The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

Sir Tobin and Marius accompany me for my first excursion out of the Palace as Queen. As my ladies in waiting, Melissa and Dorotea come as well. They're not required to do anything much, just walk behind me and offer some money to the kids or the beggars when I say it.

Before getting out of the Queen's quarters, I'm notified of a visit. Someone came from far, far away just to see me. And they're willing to come along, seemingly.

«Fernard Falco would like to talk with Your Majesty,» one of my secretaries says.

Apparently, I also have my secretaries. They're just too busy handling my affairs to appear too often.

«Shall I send him back?»

«Oh, no. Let him come with us!» I say. «There's a lot I'd like to talk with him about. He doesn't mind taking a stroll in the city, does he?»

Just like that, my husband's pledged brother finds himself in the same carriage as me. Only that, this time, I know who he is.

«Long time no see,» I say. «Brother.»

My smile is a little evil, so he might be frightened by it. But it's not like I can do anything against him. Ignis would protect him even if I, the Queen, would like to take revenge.

«I hope your Majesty won't take it to heart,» he replies. «The small misunderstandings happened during your visit to my humble home, I mean.»

«The King told me he considers you as a brother.»

«It's the same for me, even if it feels weird to say so. In the end, he was just a teenager when we first met. His Majesty is now a King, but he once was just like any other human.»

«He told me about the time he spent at your father's residence. Not much, actually. Just that it happened around the time his mother died and that your family took care of him more than his birth one.»

«He told me about your Majesty as well,» he reveals.

«Yes?» Now, I'm curious. What did he say about me? In the end, those were the words of a teenage Ignis. I shouldn't be this curious about it. Yet...

«His Majesty told me about the girl who forced him to do her bidding. She would often drag him in trouble and use him as a way to escape punishment. It wasn't clear whether he was more annoyed or pleased by it, by the way.»

«Children's memories are often difficult to interpret,» I sigh. «If anyone told me I would marry him, I wouldn't have believed. Yet, here I am. And I also have a crown on top of my head. Life is unpredictable...»

Fernard chuckles, amused by my antics.

«Rather... I'd like to know more about him. Especially regarding his life in the Palace. Can you help me, brother?» I add.

His smile disappears, and his shoulders drop as he sighs desperately.

«What are you interested in, your Majesty?»

«Everything. But let's start with what's more relevant. Why do people think my husband is a cruel tyrant? And, more importantly, why don't the nobles fear him? Shouldn't the situation be the opposite from how it is?»

«Oh, I have no clue what happened. I guess someone is spreading rumours, and his Majesty's hair colour doesn't help us.»

«Us?» I murmur.

«I'm on his side. Anything ruining his image does damage to me as well,» he points out.

«Oh, sure. You're quite ready to put your reputation and life on the line, for someone without siblings.»

«You're underestimating me just because I have no siblings?» he pouts. «I can share my things and feel sympathy just like any other person!»

«Sure, you can,» I chuckle. «And you have known the King since he was a kid. You should be aware of people who want him harm.»

«You'll be surprised to hear the list.»

«I'm waiting.»

«First on the list was the King.»

This news makes me stay silent for a long moment. I would have preferred not to know, most likely.

«The late King?» I stutter when I can move my mouth. «For real?»

«Yes. The late King wanted his second son dead because he was an issue in his marriage. His wife disliked his mistresses, even though he had been careful not to encounter unwanted pregnancies.»

«Wait... You're our age! How can you know this?»

«Rumours, your Majesty. Rumours.»

«Oh, I see...»

The Marchioness was right. Gossip is just as valuable as history when collecting information.

«So, the late King wanted my husband to die more than his wife. How odd.»

«I'm not very convinced the Queen Dowager has any killing intent towards his Majesty. But it's just my impression...»

«What about Ignis's mother? Was she poisoned by the Queen, or...»

«Rumours say it was the Queen, in a moment of jealousy. But I do not believe it. His Majesty was sent to us soon after his mother's death, and he travelled to Narith when the late King ordered to have him as far from the capital as possible. He didn't want the cursed bastard to be close to his pregnant wife.»

«So that is how things were.»

«Exactly.»

I wish I was kinder with Ignis, even though he seemed to need adventures more than attention back then.

«Rumours are not very verifiable,» I point out. Even Marchioness Crasso told me she didn't believe in that particular piece of gossip.

«If Ignis was hated by the late King more than anyone else, then the one poisoning his mother shouldn't be the Queen Dowager,» I realise.

She had no reason to fear either: not Ignis, powerless, nor that poor maid.

«Then? Is the list over?»

«Of course not,» Fernard chuckles. «We wouldn't be talking about it if it was. The late King is dead, yet his Majesty is still in danger.»

«Who else wants him dead?»

«The Queen Dowager Grandmother.»

«Why? Because he's a bastard?»

«More or less. She would prefer someone with a pure lineage. Her own power depends on the stability of the crown. Even a woman on the throne would be better for her, in some sense.»

«And Gratia,» I point out. «She's the next in line.»

«Just for now. Also, she's a kid.»

«But her mother isn't,» I point out. «That's what I'm implying: the Queen Dowager might desire power, and an easy way to get it is through the child.»

«Does it make sense?» Fernard murmurs. «Probably, it does... It's just difficult to imagine her like that.»

«Oh, but there is someone who wants to get rid of the Princess,» I remember. They want to marry her off.

«That's always the case in the Royal Family. They all have some claim on the throne, but Ignatius was crowned by invocation.»

«What?»

I don't remember hearing such a detail.

«The army decided,» Fernard says. «The soldiers invoked his name, and the generals confirmed in an official meeting a couple of days later. He has the support of the army, but that seems not to be enough to have control over the throne.»

«He needs more than just military power,» I point out. «Diplomacy, economics, and people's love. That's what one needs to have a better grasp on the King's power.»

«He can do it with diplomacy and economics. He has been improving every day for months, and he's now good enough for his role. As for the people's love... That's what I'm worried about.»

«Exactly!» I nod. «But I'm working on that!»

«By doing charity? Do you seriously believe it will be enough?»

«Oh, no. But I ought to start somewhere. Then, I will start working actively on spreading nice gossip about the King. For now, I have only one choice.»

«To ride on the coattails of that story,» he realises, nodding his head. «The one about the cursed tyrant being cured by the love of a maiden.»

«I don't like it.» It's better to make it clear. «But I have no choice!»

Fernard doesn't inquire about my intentions any further and just focuses on the next issue.

He's a good ally, I have to admit it. In just a few minutes, I've discovered so much about Ignis and finally talked about my plan with someone.

«To spread rumours, one can use word of mouth, or one can be smarter,» he says. «I can think of a way to write the love between the cursed King and his fair maiden into a song. People will sing it all over the country, and sooner than later everyone will be curious about you. It might not be enough for a general change of opinion, but it's a starter.»

«It's a starter,» I repeat.

I like his idea. So much that I'm envious I didn't think of it earlier.

Spreading good news isn't done by spies alone. One needs a broader organisation and views. Songs, stories, legends... It all can play a role in this big play.

«But for now,» Fernard says, calling me back to the present, «let's make this charity idea work.»

I smile back, ready for the fight. It's been a long time since I felt this energetic!