The Red Throne | TUQ Book Two

06 | cantergarre

Cecily did not write back to me for the past few weeks, and the anticipation was undoubtedly dreading. I knew that she had no desire for the throne, nor was she suited to rule, but the glittering golden seat her father currently occupies would enchant anyone who lays an eye on it. It was a terrifying prospect too, as all our efforts would be for naught if Cecily does accept to become heir to the throne.

"Anne dear, don't spend too much time outside. The cold night air is not good for you," I heard my mother-in-law say as she entered the room. I nodded as I stepped back into my room and shut the stained-glass door that led to the balcony. For the past days, I had been staying at home with the Dowager Crown Princess, as Edmund had to return to the barracks again. She had brought in a glass of warm milk, as well as a bowl of pinkish red broth that supposedly replenishes the blood I had lost. Although I insisted that I no longer needed the medicine, she was persistent that I drank it, leaving me with no choice.

I picked up the porcelain bowl and slowly sipped the pink liquid that strongly smelled of flowers. The medicine did have some alcoholic properties, and after I finished the bowl, drowsiness began to take over me. For the entire time I stayed with the Dowager Crown Princess, I was formal and rather stiff, but now I felt as if my tongue which I tied tightly had been let loose, and I had lost control over it.

"Lady Mother-in-law, how old are you again? You can't be fifty and look like this," I blurted out, and I saw her eyes widen with shock over my question.

She glanced at the empty bowl and chuckled awkwardly, the shock in her eyes now replaced by amusement. "Why Anne, do you want to know how I remain like this after all these years?"

I nodded hastily, and said, "Of course. If I can maintain my looks, then my husband would not look for another woman when I am older."

"Ned is loyal, Anne. He isn't like that," she answered with a frown, but I found it hard to believe her.

"The King has an entire harem full of women, even when Queen Helene was still alive. He married one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom, but she alone cannot satisfy him," I said sourly.

"That is the King, a man who is ruled by his sexual desires. But his brother, Ned's father, is different from that," she said, longing flashing in her eyes. "He was loyal and gentle, and he never judged me nor my past. He accepted me in every way, and not once did he ever ask me to change."

The Dowager Crown Princess leaned back on the armchair as she played with her fingers like a child, her fire-like hair strewn all over her shoulders. "He was so kind, Anne. He would have become a great king, but he isn't without his shortcomings. Edgar trusted his brother with his life, and that became his downfall."

"How did you come to know him, Lady Mother-in-law?"

A smile formed on her lips as she leaned closer to me, her eyes curving upwards in delight. "Well, firstly, he was the one who asked for my hand in marriage," she declared proudly. "We first met when he stumbled into my village late at night, and my grandfather, the village-head, thought that he was a bandit. He and your father, to be exact. Although to be fair, they were dressed like bandits, soiled breeches and torn shirts galore. My grandfather's men tied them up and took them to the village square, and it wasn't until they discovered the royal seal among his belongings that they released him. I though that would the end of it, but the Prince kept visiting the village every few months, and he had to be hosted in my house, since my grandfather was the village-head. This went on for almost three years until he finally asked me to marry him, but even then, I was reluctant. I had trained for my whole life to become a shaman priestess, and marrying him would mean that I have to throw all that away. The prospect of becoming queen did entice me, but I ultimately decided to be with him out of love, Anne. What about you, how did you meet Ned?"