A few days later, I received an unexpected visitor: it was Sadie Polk.
“Your Majesty, I come to apologize for my behavior from a few weeks ago and thank you for your help after my accident. I know I should have come a lot sooner, but I was feeling very embarrassed by what happened, please forgive me,” she apologized.
“I have nothing to forgive, I am sorry that I upset you with my questions that day,” I said. “I am very glad to see you here, would you mind taking a walk with me?”
Sadie hesitated for a moment, perhaps she was afraid that I would ask her more questions about the Trobetians, but since the queen was granting her the honor of requesting her company, she could not refuse.
"Of course," she replied with an affectionate smile.
We left the Queen&
Almost at dawn, I heard the door of the common area open and I hurried out. Gregory had returned safely. Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms as if I were a normal wife happy to have her husband back. He placed his arms around me, holding me close to his body without saying a word. Not once in the months that we had been married had I been so happy to see him and now I was overwhelmed by joy.“Addison, are you all right?” His voice sounded dejected.“I am fine, and you?” I noticed that his sleeve was stained with blood. “What happened to you?!” I asked concerned.“Do not worry about me, I am fine. It was just an arrow that grazed me.”He leaned back on the couch, he looked exhausted, he closed his eyes for a few moments to rest. I sat next to him.
By the time the tea party took place, panic had subdued, people had returned to their routines and were trying to forget the past. It wasn't the first time the kingdom had been attacked by the Trobetians and it surely was not going to be the last time.As the carriage drove me to the tea party, I told myself that this time would be different. I practiced my best smile and I tried to convince myself that none of the women at the party were a match for me. Only I was the queen, I had all the power and I could not be intimidated by my subjects.When I arrived, Florence, her husband Luke, and her seven-year-old son were waiting for me outside. The family greeted me as it was proper and then Florence guided me to where the tea party was going to take place.“Your Majesty, I am sorry for the intrusion, but do you think it
That night I could not wait to see my husband, I wanted to tell him what had happened at Florence's house. For the first time, after all this time, I had taken his advice and I wanted him to know about it. I waited for hours for him in the common area between our bedrooms with Honey by my side. Finally, almost at midnight, Gregory came in. He seemed taken aback to find me still awake.“Did something bad happen?” He asked as he looked me up and down.“No... nothing bad,” I replied.“I am glad,” he said, and then turned around to go to his room.“I did what you told me!” I exclaimed before he went in.Gregory paused for a moment and then came back into the common area, but he kept his distance from me.“What was that?” He asked with a weary expression on his fa
I knew I had to apologize to Gregory, but I could not bring myself to do it. I had done wrong, that was clear to me, but he had also done wrong by me by bringing me here against my will and arranging our marriage with my uncle without taking me into consideration. I hated that now I was not only attracted to him but I also felt guilty for hurting his feelings when he did not deserve my compassion.A few days after the party, Linda paid me a visit to the castle.“Tell me, has there been any improvement between you and the king since our last talk?” She inquired without wasting any time.I shook my head. “No, everything is the same,” I admitted.“How is that possible?! I thought you were going to apologize to him.”
I could not help but to see Gregory differently when we met that night, the evil monster I thought I was married to gave way to the image of a compassionate and brave man with a difficult past. I wanted to tell him that now I knew the truth and apologize for having judged him so harshly; there was so much I wanted to say and yet I did not say anything. Although for me everything had changed in one afternoon, for him I was still the wife who hated him. Like any other night, as if everything had not changed, we greet each other with courteous indifference and then each one to his own.In the solitude of my room, I thought about everything I had learned that the day, the horror that everyone around me had endured. I was filled with guilt, Gregory was practically a hero and I had been treating him like a pest for months. I needed to make amends. Soon.I spent the next
The event to help the farmers was a success and it made me feel great about helping people. It helped me realize that as a queen I could do more than hear people’s complaints during Open Day, I could actually make a difference in my subjects’ lives.Motivated by this idea, I organized another visit to the city so that I could meet the needs of its inhabitants and learn how I could help them. Gregory did not object, so I wasted no time getting into action.Life in the city was hectic, I loved the noises, the smells, and the joy I found on every street. I walked through different streets accompanied by Cora, my assistant was very useful to me because she noticed many more details than I about the needs people had. I spoke with many citizens, all of them were surprised to see the queen asking for their opinions but they were also very glad and eager to talk.
The following week I went back to the city, I was excited about my new mission to improve the kingdom and it also helped me keep my mind off of Gregory. This time I met even more people and more situations that needed to be addressed. After a couple of hours walking the streets I heard a distant sound that was gradually increasing, it was like cannons being fired, and then I realized that the sound of explosions was accompanied by drums, like a war march. The noise became so intense that I could feel it rumble through my body as if I were in the center of a battlefield. I did not know where the noise came from or what it meant, but it terrified me. Everyone around me was agitated, in a matter of seconds, the city fell into a state of panic even more exaggerated than the day of the fire. The inhabitants left their houses and shops overwhelmed by uncertainty. Cora took me by the hand.“Your Majesty…" her voice trembled.Aroun
The three men began to discuss the logistics of the draft while I distracted myself by fiddling with a cup on the table. It took several hours for Rudyard and Norton to return.“Your Majesty, everything is under control, we have ordered a curfew to prevent further disturbances and we dispatched several guards to watch the streets,” Rudyard announced as soon as he entered the hall.“Good. They better behave, there is nothing I hate more than a rowdy crowd for no good reason,” Gregory replied.“We have great news: the king has agreed to the conscription,” Julian announced cheerfully.“Wow! I am glad to hear that,” Norton replied enthusiastically.“We will give it a try, see how it goes,” Gregory clarified.“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Norton replied, tipping his head in agreement.