Chapter Text
The Heir
The guards open the doors to the king's ornate throne room wordlessly and I enter wordlessly.
My hardened face stuck in its glower cause all those around me tread carefully as if the floor below them were made of the finest spider’s silk. The maids stop their chirping and keep their bonnets down.
The echoes of my foot falls are dampened by the velvet as I finally reach the steps to the throne.
He’s looking down at me.
Typical.
“Father, I have humbly come to inquire on the war effort. Have our troops achieved any glorious victories that I might sing of?”
My voice is as sweet as pomegranates.
“My dear daughter. You are so kind to come and ask about the war effort. Alas, I have no news if victory for you.”
Of course you don’t! This war is folly! Our troops spill their blood on every field on the continent yet you pretend that all is fine!
I wished to scream yet I held my tongue for now. My face grew tighter. It takes everything for me to calm down to form more words yet before I could speak, he continues.
“But, perhaps you might sing me another song? It has been too long since I have heard my eldest sing. Please…your face is unbecoming of one so young and beautiful.”
“Ah, of course father…but seeing as I am your eldest, should I not be focused on more important matter than singing? Such as, preparing to rule?”
Now it was his turn to glower.
“Valentina…we have spoken about this.”
“NO! I spoke and spoke and you never listened. I am the eldest, I am the smartest of your children and you skip me over! Why? Because I don’t have a cock!”
“VALENTINA!”
The maids had made themselves scarce at this point. Even through my anger I could notice they had left their job half finished. Having them whipped for that would soothe my anger.
“Listen to me foolish child. You will go to your room and I will not see hide nor hair of you until dinner. We will not speak of this ever again. Abandon these foolish notions of rulership!”
My bodice seemed to grow tight enough to strangle me as I bowed and took my leave.
I almost tripped on my skirt as I ran back to my room; hoping not to be seen by any guards. The elf moon had smiled down at me as it would seem that all the maids had grown lax in their duties. Not that father had noticed.
Slamming the door behind me and slumping into my vanity chair; I take a look at my face. My deep grey eyes swam in pools of red as treasonous tears rolled down my cheeks. I dabbed at them again and fought with all my might to stop the dam from bursting.
I must distract myself. Think of something else, anything else.
Unfortunately, I thought about what I had lost.
Two years. Two glorious years that I scant remember when I was the heir to the throne.
Mother and father had been married since they were 16 and yet children were not easy coming to them. A decade had passed and rumors of infertility had plagued them all the while until, the elf moon smiled upon them.
Mother’s smooth white stomach began to grow and in a few short months I had come in to the world, perfect and proper, ready to claim what was rightfully mine.
Yet a problem I could not have foreseen had come from the same stomach which had birth me. My brother.
The men who had built this kingdom had made their intentions clear. Women would be passed over for a son every time. That pink wriggling thing between his legs, which I lacked, had made him worth more than me.
“Brothers were born to steal what was their sister’s.” I muttered.
I had learned that on my tenth birthday when I finally worked up the courage to ask father why he had not begun training me in politics yet. Until then it had been nothing but manners lessons history, culture and of course singing. All of which I poured myself into and mastered for the good of the kingdom. My kingdom.
He had looked down on me then too. He put his hand on my long black hair and simply told me that there would be no need.
Instead my eight year old brother had been allowed to sit in on my father and his counsel’s private meetings. All while I learned to bow properly.
It was so…unfair. I was the oldest. The most intelligent. The most charming… when I wished to be. I had inherited mother's beauty and I knew how to use it well. My brother’s could never dream to match all that I could offer the realm.
When he received a sword I received more dresses and shoes than u could ever wear or want to wear. Give me my horse riding leathers any day. Or fencing corset. I had begged to learn how to defend myself and father had begrudgingly agreed. I trained myself to be as strong a warrior as my brother.
I looked over to my bookshelves. I had forgone the romance novels that had so enamored my contemporaries in court life and went with the adventurous stories that my brother’s preferred. But even here I surpass them as I had many long treatises on political intrigue and leadership.
I was dragged from my thoughts by a knock on my door.
“Enter.” I hid the evidence of my tears as best as I could but there would be no need. The person who entered my room immediately spotted them as she always had.
“Oh my dear princess. Please accept my most sincere apologies for what your father has said.”
“Oh Chihiro!”
She opened her arms to accept me as I lost myself in her white apron. Soft frills tickling my face as I stained them with the salt of my tears.
“I have already alerted your mother. She will be here momentarily. Is there anything you might need while you wait?”
Chihiro.
My loyal handmaid.
My truest friend in the whole world. More than even the other noble girls with their silly delusions of marrying princes and becoming good wives.
She always knew what I wanted. What I needed.
“Thank you Chihiro. Thank you!”
She was my second sister. My twin from another mother.
We had spent all fourteen years of our lives together. From the moment her mother, who was once a maid like her, gave birth in the palace we took her in.
We even looked the same. We had styled our hairs to look alike since we were children.
Until father put a stop to that.
She bowed and took her leave and it was not too long before I heard the soft rapt on the door that filled me with warmth and joy. She entered and a fresh spring air followed closely with her presence.
“Hello mother, did father send you here to bring my to dinner?”
“No my love, I came here because I knew what you would ask and the answer you would receive”
Ah mother, so dutiful. To her husband and to her children. She was always the one to bridge the gap between my father, my brothers and I.
She moved over to my bed and sat down. Her ornate green robes flowing with ephemeral beauty in the setting sun. Had I really been in my room for so long? She patted the spot next to her and I moved to sit by her side. She wrapped her hands around me when I did and I leaned into her ample bosom to let out the last of my tears.
“I know how badly you wish to rule. And I know how badly it hurts to see someone other than you have the thing you want most in this world. But it gets better my love. I promise, it does. Think of your grandmother. She was a Queen in her own right. She may have set aside the true crown for your father but after your grandfather fell she had her chance to be queen.”
“But that’s because grandfather had no brothers! Even if Emilio were to die, Doran would take his place, ahead of me!”
“Valentina, you shouldn’t say such things. She was passed over to rule in favor of your father but what is it that she does now from her city?”
I sniff at my tears.
“She rules…” And all the men listen to her I added in my mind.
“Exactly. You too will rule in your own way. One day.”
She stood up and outstretched her hand I took it and came up to her flat stomach. Four children she had borne and the only evidence was her more than exaggerated bosom and posterior.
“Come my love. Let us go and have dinner.”
I nod and follow her. Wondering all the while what father had done to deserve a woman as wonderful as this. With her flowing golden hair that I spent so long wishing for instead of my father's black.
As mother and I walked in to the banquet hall where my family always took their dinner I spotted my father sitting at the head of the table with Emilio on his right. I had to stifle a groan as I saw my father’s advisor, Duke Baülsac, or as my siblings and I prefer ‘his noble swine’.
A cruel nickname perhaps but there was never a man who deserved it more. Duke Baülsac had spent far too many nights at banquets and his pink fleshy appearance did nothing to help.
“He smells like a pig too.” My sister, Azusa giggled one time while I was brushing her hair. I could see her sitting on the left of father now. Holding her nose and faking her gags as Doran chuckled opposite of her. Luckily father could not see due to the Duke’s incredible bulk.
The Duke turned to look at us as he finished whispering in father’s ear. His jowls quivering and pulling up as he saw mother. His chins trembled in delight.
“Ah, my Queen! How wonderful it is to see you! I must leave now but I do hope you enjoy your meal.”
He bowed to her and I could tell Azusa was very worried he would topple over and crush her. But luckily for her, he didn’t.
“I will take my leave your majesty. And prince Emilio! You have my most sincere congratulations on your betrothal.”
His face twisted in to one of alarm as he turned to the king. Father only sighed and waved him away. He waddled quickly and disappeared down an alcove.
“Well then, Duke Baülsac has saved me the trouble of announcing it myself. But it is true. Emilio will be sent off to marry Queen Hisako of Ninnon.”
Mother covered her mouth in surprise while all the color had drained from Emilio’s face. I took some small satisfaction from that.
“B-But father…” he began, “she’s-“
“The leader of a very powerful nation who’s support we could use in the war.”
“But sh-she’s”
He’s stuttering. Another flaw of his. In my 14 years I have never stuttered.
“Spit it out Emilio. She’s a hag! We all know it!”
It was me who said it and he seemed a little bit relieved as be nodded his head. He may have stolen my birthright but I loved him too much to let him make a fool of himself like that
“She’s old…”
“She’s wise and experienced.” My father countered. “She has ruled well on forty years now and even when I was a boy; tales of her wisdom and beauty were well know.”
“But she’s ancient now. Her beauty must have surely faded.” Emilio looked like he was about to faint. Mother did her best to look reassuring.
“Perhaps we should take his feelings into consideration dear? We married for love, did we not?”
Father’s face softened. Mother could always do that.
“Aye, yes we did. But…things are different now. This war…has dragged on far longer than I would have thought. They won’t be satisfied till they take everything we hold dear.”
Father sounded tired…more tired than I had ever heard him before. I forgot all my anger from earlier and desired to comfort him. Mother reached out and held his hand and I could see how it eased him.
“Emilio, my son. The marriage isn’t official yet. You must go to her and charm her. Beseech her for her aid. If the price is your hand in marriage, then sacrifices must be made for the good of the Kingdom. As my heir you must know that.”
I feel my throat tighten as he mentions that word. Emilio nods his head. He always relented. I never did. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons father had chosen him over me.
My father claps and the food is brought out. Food for eighteen comes out for six.
Roasted desert trunks and their eggs, both scrambled and hardboiled for the first course. Roasted corn stuffed in desert foxes was the second course. This was followed by candied Ninnon snake as dessert to celebrate the engagement.
I noticed the food was taken from the lands of our enemies. The dessert people of Zanjabil. I remember from my history lessons that the desert fox was their national animal. I had seen it on their flags with a dagger in its mouth on a background of red.
Perhaps this was meant to promote strength? To convince us that the war was going well.
But I knew the truth.
Victus was in danger and only I could save it.
Only I, the True Heir.