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 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

By nightfall, I felt as if I was about to lose my mind, I could not stop thinking about my failed apology while I also feared what the Trobetians might do next. The drums continued steadily and did not allow me to have a second of peace. I put on my nightgown ready to sleep and gain strength to endure the next day. It was useless, the noise did not allow me to fall asleep, I tossed and turned in bed for hours. My exhaustion made me entertain the most ridiculous thoughts: I thought about what would happen if the Trobetians managed to invade us, I thought about what would happen if Gregory never took an interest in me again and my theories became wilder and wilder as the night progressed. As I agonized with my own thoughts, I heard Gregory coming into the common area. Knowing that my husband was close calmed me down a bit, but not enough. I got up and exited my room, Honey followed me to the common area wagg

That night, I waited for my husband in the common area while I tried to distract myself by reading a book. Gregory arrived after midnight looking exhausted, Honey ran to greet him wagging his tail and my husband took the dog in his arms.“I did not think I would find you awake,” he said, approaching the fireplace where I was.“I wanted to know if everything went well after your announcement,” I lied.“In the city yes, people returned to their activities and pretend not to hear anything. Unfortunately, some curious farmers at the border got too close to the position of the Trobetians and their archers killed them.”I could see how this anger and frustrated my husband.“How terrible!” I exclaimed feeling sorry for those people. “Yes, it was… the problem is tha

When the day of the first festival arrived, the city was brimming with people, inhabitants from all corners of the kingdom had come to the celebration, many even began to celebrate before sunset, which was when the parade was scheduled to start. Just as the sun went down, thousands of torches were lit along the four main avenues to illuminate the route of the parade. Hundreds of jugglers and performance artists marched in colorful costumes, performing extraordinary stunts, there were also fireworks which contributed not only to amaze the audience, but also me. Everything was extraordinary, the colorful costumes, the talent of the representations, and the cheerful music accompanied by laughter and exclamations of amazement. There were artists spitting fire through their mouths, others walked carrying various companions on their shoulders, and various groups danced in perfect sync. Gregory and I watched the