"I can't remember the last time the sun shone in Luthen." Belline noted as she peered down at the city from her balcony. She was not nearly as interested in the weather as she was trying to appear. "I wonder if it is an omen."
Her uncle, Halmerd Barlos, didn't buy into her charade. "You're worried about him. Why?"
Belline didn't look at him; she was afraid to meet his gaze. Ashamed, most likely. Her husband was off at war, and she worried for him. That would be a good thing for a wife, if her husband wasn't a terrible man. "He's my husband. The father of my daughter."
That wasn't a sufficient answer, apparently. "And when he gets drunk, he fucks whores and beats you and your daughter. What kind of a husband and father is he?" Sir Barlos didn't believe her.
She frowned down at the city. Her people were facing a devastating war if her husband didn't cut this short. He was off in Austed battling against The Inik Patriarch— a man from the same country as Belline herself. Lunare would win. Belline never knew her husband to lose a battle. After all, he had a powerful army behind him. "He is the king, and should he fall, there would be no one to replace him. Not until Basil comes of age. He has no brothers, no nephews, and one cousin… but I don't think Sultar would have the crown. The kingdom would see me rule alone before they allowed a… simple man to rule. So, if Lunare should die, then there are two possible outcomes: my children and I are slaughtered by our enemies, or the army overcomes, and I am left to rule alone until Basil comes of age."
Marquis Barlos chuckled at her response. "You underestimate yourself. You have been in the capital for nearly twenty years now. Your father brought you to Vyxolis when you were but a girl, and you were but a girl when you were wed. So tell me, my dear— how could a woman who overcame so many difficult ordeals, such horrors, fail to rule a kingdom? Your heart is kind and your will is strong. Who else could do it?"
"I do not want it. It's as simple as that, and you would do good to wish well for your king," she warned him. "I want him to come home. People can say what they'd like, but he is my husband, and I love him." There was once a time where Belline had to force herself to say such things. Now, she truly believed it. Halmerd could see it, too; she loved her husband, and there was nothing he could do about it. "He gave me a lot, you know. My children. My home. My country–"
"This is not your country." Halmerd retorted coldly. "Remember that, my dear. If he were to die, we could return to Inik." They weren't being held hostage here, per se, but Belline had to stay in Vyxolis with her husband, and Halmerd had vowed to stay with her until the end of his days.
Belline whipped her head around and glared at him. "Uncle, I love and respect you, but I will not hear of leaving this country. Ever. Now, don't get me wrong– I will permit your leave, should you ever request it. No questions asked. I would be heartbroken, but I will not stop you from going home. This, however, is my home. I have been here since I was twelve. I've made a life here. I have nowhere to return to. Everything is here." Sensing the harshness in her own words, she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Please understand my position. I like it here. I even love my husband, whether you choose to believe that or not. He has been kind to me, and you have witnessed many of those moments. You know how he can be, both good and bad. I accept him for who he is."
Halmerd silently assessed her, putting a hand over her own while he pursed his lips. Belline could not tell what it was, but he was contemplating something. Perhaps he was deciding if he believed her or not. After a few moments of trying to figure it out, he landed on his response. "You've learned your lines very well, my dear."
A quick knock on the door interrupted their staredown, the urgency of the knock causing both of them to turn and look at the door. "What is it?" Belline asked, regaining her composure and returning to her prim and proper self.
The knocker answered without opening the door, since she had not given consent. "My queen, I have an urgent matter to speak with you about." There was a brief pause, followed by a slight chuckle. "Oh, it's Richard, by the way."
Belline did not waste any time bounding to the door, throwing it open and looking up at him with wide eyes. "What is it, Lord Florence?"
Richard Florence, Lord of the Covenant Isles, was in charge of recruitment for the Vyxolisian army. He often had to spontaneously consult with the king for an assortment of reasons, but he had to bring those concerns to the queen during this time. Truthfully, Belline had no interest in dabbling in the art of army recruitment, but she knew very well how important it was. He was perfectly capable of handling his job, but it often required outsourcing and funds that had to be approved before such means were taken. Usually, Belline approved any request that Lord Florence came to her with– especially if they were as urgent as this one seemed.
"Allow me to see myself to my post," Halmerd said, before Richard could respond. "I do believe I've extended my break longer than I should have. Shall you need me, I will be no further than down the hall." He bowed before his queen, then much more quickly he would bow to the lord.
Once he had left the room, Richard stepped inside, letting the door shut behind him. "I have received word from your husband, my queen." He pulled a small scroll out of his pocket, but instead of handing it to the queen, he continued speaking. "There's nothing too concerning, but he did request that I ship out this batch of recruits I have right now. Those who are ready, that is. And that would be most of them. There's some concern about the cost of moving them safely to Autend, as well as the cost of replacing them. I can't very well train an empty lot," he chuckled. "I need your consent before moving forward, my queen."
Belline felt a twitch in her eye, but she composed herself. "You do not need my consent if you received instructions from the king himself. Really, Richard, this is a waste of my time. Please," she mumbled. "I do not mind approving anything that you ask for, but I cannot be alone with you for such flimsy reasons. I care too much about your reputation to ruin it."
"Only my reputation, Bell?" He cracked a grin, waiting for her response instead of continuing his teasing.
"I care much more for mine, but I didn't need to say that," she answered honestly. "There was no reason to come to me for this. I trust you to make this decision." A pregnant pause filled the room before she added, "And, of course, I trust my husband even more so. He needs it done, so please do it."
The lord nodded and rolled up the scroll, stuffing it back into his pocket. "I suppose I forgot that I take my orders from him when I much prefer them coming from you." Although the implication made Belline's face flush, she noticed that he said it with a straight face. She did not think he entirely meant it in the way that it sounded. Truly, most everyone liked to avoid her husband.
And yet she couldn't resist herself. "If you like taking orders from me so much, I can give you a few more." She smiled coyly, crossing her arms.
"Anything you wish, my queen."
"Go retrieve my son and reprimand him for ignoring his studies, as I'm sure he is," she commanded.
"Anything but that," he laughed. "I was anticipating something more exciting, now. Plus, the boy isn't wrong for ignoring his studies. He's already grown now, isn't he? Well, fifteen is grown enough. Surely he knows… everything, yes? I imagine he thinks as much, anyhow."
Belline smiled fondly at the comment. "Yes, yes he does. But I do need to reprimand him regardless. My daughter, too, most likely. Who knows what she's up to?"
Lord Richard returned the smile. "She was in the gardens before I made my way here. I doubt she has left yet. The weather is lovely this evening."
"And why do you know where she is?" Belline raised an eyebrow, stiffening her crossed arms.
He shrugged. "I knew you would want to know," he answered. "And I needed to make sure I could spend enough time with you alone to discuss these matters." The lord motioned to his pocket which held the scroll.
"We've discussed it. I do need to attend to my motherly duties now." It was an excuse, despite how she did want to spend time with her children. "I will see you soon enough, my lord. Now, if you will excuse me–" she moved past him, about to open the door when he reached out and grabbed her wrist. His grip was incredibly light so that she could pull away if she chose to.
The queen turned to look at Richard, furrowing her brow. He spoke before she could settle in her confusion. "Please, wait, Bell. There's something I need to tell you." He let go of his grip on her, unwilling to even entertain the act of holding her back. He hadn't even meant to grab her, really. It was instinctual. "Allow me to speak candidly, given our time limit. I know you want to see your children. I will make this quick." Belline nodded, permitting him to continue. "You are more than my queen to me, as you already know. You are my dearest friend. I care for you like family, and I am proud of how you have led this kingdom in your husband's absence."
While he spoke, Belline gazed up at him out of curiosity. Yes, they were friends. They had been since before either of them came to this country. Their families were very close as well. None of that should have mattered in this moment, though. "Thank you, but…?"
"But you know that this position, this happiness, it's fleeting. And, even in this time of war, you see how our people suffer less than before? That's because of you, Belline. You're taking care of this country the way your husband never has. You may doubt yourself, and yes, there are many things you simply don't know how to do, but those select things… Basil is old enough to deal with them, and he has been instructed for years. No, he is not ready to lead the country, but together…
"I'm not suggesting we do anything directly to your husband. I could, however, make it harder for him to receive the help he's requested. Those young men don't need to go out and get killed, anyways. If anything were to happen, you would be the most powerful person in the kingdom. No one would lay a hand on you ever again." He paused, waiting to add the next part until she began to object. "No one would hurt your children ever again, either, Bell."
The thought of not having to return her old way of living enticed Belline, teasing her by offering up the fantasy of happiness. Yet she wasn't unhappy with her husband, even if her friend and uncle did not understand it. Happy wasn't the right word, either, but something more… subtle.
Complacent.
"Ricky," Belline muttered, placing her hand on the doorknob. He gave her a disheartened look because he already knew what her answer would be. "What you talk of is treason. I won't hear of it. All I want is to go and spend time with my children. Why must you burden me with this right now? Or at all? Maybe it's time you remarried, you know. You have too much free time." She meant what she said sincerely, holding the threat of making him resettle down above him to stifle this conversation.
"Just think on what I said, please. I'll leave you to it, now."
Her hand clenched the doorknob, but she froze before opening it, speaking lowly. "Why did you ask me, Ricky? Why didn't you just do it?" It perplexed her that she was given a choice to be a part of this treasonous plan when he had just as many reasons to want Lunare out of the picture too.
"I wanted to see if you still had any will to fight," he admitted. "I wanted you to want him gone. Like you did when you were younger. But I see, now, that he has his hold on you. If that truly makes you happy, then fine. I'll be on my way now."
The queen flung the door open, allowing him to step by. Belline did not speak as he passed her, but she noticed the solemn look on his face. She waited a few minutes before leaving the room as well, wondering if his words held any weight. But, eventually, she decided that he was wrong. He was not in her position, and loving her husband was not a choice. Once, it had been her only means of survival. In their early days of marriage, Lunare's temper got the best of him more often than not. She had to learn to please him, and quickly. Loving him pleased him. At some point, she didn't have to keep trying to love him– it came naturally.
When she reached her son's room, she hesitated to knock on the door. As much as she wanted to see him, he always asked about his father. About the war. The rebellion. All of the things Belline did not want to worry about. But she had to face it, as it was the situation that they were in, so she knocked on the door and announced herself. "Basil, I would like for you to join me and your sister for supper." Instead of answering, he opened the door and smiled down at her. His tan skin shone with a thin layer of oil, and he smelled of sweat. She was sure he had been practicing his swordsmanship instead of his studies, but she did not comment on it.
"Of course, mother." Basil brushed his shiny, wavy hair off of his forehead. "I'd be happy to. Where is Floriana? You usually have her in your tow by now." He stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut, then took her arm in his. They often walked this way, as he was an affectionate boy even still.
"I was… held up," she explained. "You were on the way, so I stopped to grab you first. Floriana is in the gardens, I believe. I figured I would let her enjoy the rest of her day before I ruin it," she chuckled. Floriana was always so restless, and sitting down for any meal made the child antsy. It was to be expected of a child of only twelve, yet it never ceased to amuse Belline. "You and I must discuss what we are going to do for her birthday, anyways. She'll be thirteen in a few weeks, after all."
Basil smiled and squeezed her arm gently. "I have a feeling you've been planning it for months now. This is a big deal for her. She'll be old enough to marry." Belline stopped walking when he said that, but only for a step. He stopped as well, realizing his mistake. "Not that it's going to happen. No one gets married so young, I just meant that it's a milestone…"
The queen had always been sensitive about the subject of marriage, regarding her children. It was the only thing she had ever fought her husband on, although he didn't have strong feelings about the subject. Belline did, and she insisted that they not be married before reaching adulthood. A betrothment was acceptable, but she had begged Lunare to give them time to have a childhood– an opportunity that neither of them had. Perhaps that was why he was able to agree to her terms, and he never went back on his word.
"No, it's alright, Basil. I understood what you meant. No harm done."
Before they continued discussing the festivities, Basil could not help but to ask her about his father. "Have you heard from father? I worry about him constantly, as I'm sure we all do." He assumed that his mother and sister worried as well, but Belline knew that Floriana cared little about this situation. She had been flourishing the past few months, but Basil did not attribute it to the absence of their father, surprisingly.
Whether or not to tell Basil about the request had been eating at Belline, but she ultimately decided to be honest with him. He was almost a grown man, and he would have to learn to deal with these situations as soon as they occurred rather than hearing of them secondhand. "Yes, I have. He didn't write to me directly, but Lord Florence came to me with word. Your father requested that Lord Florence ship out the latest group he had put together. He let me know, as a courtesy, because it's going to cost us quite a bit to transport and replace them. We have the funds, or rather, I'll make some moves to secure them tomorrow morning."
The prince was unsure by this, she could tell. He often couldn't piece together the bigger picture when discussing such matters, but he never ceased to ask questions. "Does that mean he's in danger? Is he… losing?"
"No, no, my love… well, he's not losing, but he's reached a setback. One of the lords called to assist him has taken longer than expected to arrive, but everything will be alright." Belline assured her son, but she knew he wasn't satiated.
"I wish I could be there for him," Basil muttered. "I could fight, you know. You've seen my skills."
Belline immediately put a hand up, signaling that he stop this conversation. "Enough of that. You are not old enough to go to battle, and, more importantly, I need you here with me. You think I could run things all by myself?" She cracked a grin, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Only fifteen, and you're already a head taller than me. Soon enough you'll go to war, but for now, you're still my baby."
Her son pouted, an ironic reaction considering his reply. "I'm not a baby anymore, mother. In one year, I'll be old enough to ascend, although I hope I won't have to."
"Of course. My apologies, Basil. Now, onto the matter of your sister's celebration…"