The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

The Queen Dowager comes to visit, as promised, soon after the ball.

She sends a letter beforehand, and she comes with two ladies by her side. It's late to call for Melissa and Dorotea now, so I'll be here alone.

It's actually odd for a Queen to be alone at this time of the day. Oh, but I'm sure I've done worse.

«Welcome,» I say. «Please, have a seat.»

I don't even bother asking the maids for tea. Neither of us will drink it.

«Let's move on to the relevant matters,» she says, cutting the conversation short. She has no time to waste, contrarily to me. «I know what you want to do.»

«And what is that?» I have so many ideas, missions, troublesome plans... Which one exactly is troubling the Queen Dowager so much that she came here?

«I won't let you take her away,» she spits out. «No matter what you think I did, no matter how afraid you are, I won't let you send my daughter to the east. She will stay here until coming to age. And she won't get married far from here without my expressed approval!»

Oh, how fired up. I wouldn't have imagined I would hear the Queen Dowager this angry and this sincere. She's so concerned about her child that she doesn't care about showing an unrefined image and an ugly face.

She will come to threaten me if I don't clear the misunderstanding sooner than later. I'm sure of it.

«I am not the one behind the marriage proposals. I haven't sent a single missive out of Alba yet. And I have no interest in having Gratia leave. I'm not as petty as to take revenge just because she was a little... impolite to me. And to our King.»

The Queen Dowager winces, surprised. She wasn't expecting an open statement, but I really have no advantage from this situation.

I'd prefer Gratia to stay here longer, for that would mean more safety for my child and me.

«The plan started when you came here,» she points out. «No sooner and no later. Is it a coincidence?»

«A coincidence? I don't think it is. Most likely, there's a reason if things went like this. I believe the real culprit has an interest in keeping us opposed.»

In fact, it's just so obvious that I feel stupid for not realising before.

«Someone wanted me and you to be enemies. To hate each other and cause trouble. To hit our people with wicked plans, to be too focused on how to remove the other to notice the bigger picture.»

She crosses her arms and furrows her brows. Completely opposite to her usual self, she has no intention of keeping her image regal. Not while her child's future is on the line. After all, Gratia is the only one she has left.

«Who could it be if not me?» I ask. «Could it be the Queen Grandmother?»

She sighs, coming to terms with my words. If I said I wasn't, I had no reason to lie. Right?

«I wouldn't use secret means,» I point out. «I have no fear of moving in the open. If sending the Princess away would benefit me, you would be the first to know, Mother.»

«The Queen Grandmother isn't behind this. I know her enough, and she wouldn't send Gratia away. First of all, it would cause more damage to her ideals than bring her any advantage. Moreover, sending Gratia away means having one less Princess in Alba. The risk of turmoil for the Crown would increase like that.»

I can't find fault with her reason, but who could it be?

«Is there someone from the Royal Family who has any hope to have the throne if something happens to my husband?»

«Oh, plenty. But the problem is... Ignatius is not the one in danger, lately, is he?»

«Hmm?»

«No one attempted to take his life. They all went after you. Someone wants to take your place, and that couldn't happen if the sender is in the Royal Family. They are all relatives of the King, so there's no way they could marry him to become Queens.»

«That's true. But I don't know... Does it really make sense? What makes them think they can take my place just like this? Is there any woman close enough to the King?»

«Ah, as if,» she scoffs. «I sent one of my ladies to him, and she came back with a platter full of sweet food and annoyingly intact.»

«You, what?» I say, my voice turning cold. I'm not doing it on purpose, I swear! I have no reason to let her know how I feel, but I can't fight it.

It's stronger than me!

What reason did she have to send ladies to my husband? My! Husband! He's taken: why should he even think to accept another woman?

«I wanted to plant a spy, but either he realised and sent her back, or he never had the intention of having a mistress. How annoying, isn't it?»

«My husband told me he won't have mistresses,» I say, a little too proud. I have no real reason to talk about this. I should focus on the attempts on my life, and not on this useless...

«Men always say that. But do they keep their words? Not so often.»

That's true. If not for his many mistresses, the late King would have never had Ignis as a son. I wouldn't be here by his side. And even our baby wouldn't be growing in my womb.

«Well, returning to the spy... It didn't work. But there might be some woman who believes she has some hope.»

«Not that I've heard,» she says, her expression bored to the core.

I guess she found out I'm using the chance to inquire about Ignis's past.

«I don't know if it is because it's the start of your marriage or if Ignatius knows women make good spies, but he has never fallen into any trap. Mine or other people's. There aren't many he's close to, and they are all his childhood friends.»

«From before he was crowned,» I point out. Like Fernard Falco, or Count Grif.

He has friends, he's not completely lonely, but he struggles with trusting people whom he met after becoming the King. It's understandable, and it's also one of the things keeping him alive.

«The King told me about the ploys of marrying the Princess off,» I confess. «The guards intercepted a message for the diplomats. I still haven't figured out a way to stop it, but I'm sure our King will do it. He's good at diplomacy, after all.»

Even though I have my own diplomatic talent, maybe it's better to keep it for internal affairs. I wouldn't like a war to start just because I'm naughty.

«So, he does know about it...»

«And he's looking for a way to stop it.»

«It's not that easy,» she points out. «If the talks proceed, it could become offensive to take our offer back. If they continue, one day the King will be forced to accept not to ruin our diplomatic relationships. Or to save Alba's honour and reputation.»

«So, we need a way to stop the messages from being delivered. From this very moment, till the end of the problem. That is to say until the culprit is found and executed.»

«If I could do it, I wouldn't be here threatening a Queen,» she says, tapping on the armrest with her nails. «I don't have much power, unfortunately. Still, I've been Queen for years. I've learned a couple of things about the Palace.»

«I'm curious now. Is there anything you're willing to teach your daughter-in-law?»

She chuckles, covering her mouth with a hand. Perfect, elegant. She's back to her normal self.

«You will need to find out by yourself, dear daughter-in-law.»

«Would an engagement within Alba stop the talks, though?» I say. «If we find someone suitable and set up a formal engagement, we can break it later.»

«No. It would be no better than marrying her off directly.»

«But... Isn't there anyone you could use? Someone with a secret dangerous enough to cancel an engagement?»

She raises a brow, realising I'm referring to either blackmail or a swindle. Yet, there's a girl to save here.

«I don't know... Someone who did something against the King and will need to pay for it, sooner or later,» I add.

«There are some nobles who haven't been involved in the coup, but they did indirectly help. Ignatius chose not to persecute them, but they could come in handy for us. For example, someone who desperately needs a sign of forgiveness from the court.»

«They will accept because their position isn't stable,» I add. «They will think it's a sign of luck when, in fact, it's the opposite.»

«If we fail, Gratia will marry a criminal.»

«We have years to stop it. And there's no way criminals see their status rise at my court.»

«I shall consider every aspect before moving,» she says. «It's my daughter we're talking about.»

«You really can't think of a way to get rid of an unwanted fiancée? Oh, please,» I say. «I thought you were more cynical.»

«It would be a criminal either way,» she sighs. «It wouldn't be a sin to get rid of them.»

«No. Especially because they would use your daughter for another coup.»

We're more alike than I thought. Ready to use a person, even though a bad person, for our purpose. I just hope it doesn't become too grave a sin, considering we're doing it for survival.

«If you don't like it, we can always think of something else,» I say with a hidden, devilish grin.