Legacy of the Remembered

33. Royal Audience

Rime stayed in Worg as long as she needed to settle the unrest. Due to the size of the town, there remained little to do on her end. Basse could handle the rest, but she felt uncertain leaving him to it. It hurt to leave the people in a state of unease, but there was little left to do about it. She got what she needed and trusted Basse to handle the rest. He cared, and she felt grateful for that.

But before she left, she wanted to talk to Senye one more time. Her attitude the other day during the initial run-through continued to bother Rime. It was not just the shade thrown at Tsunizar, but the lack of respect for Rime on the simple principle of being queen. It became more and more obnoxious as the years went by. Rime was used to this, to the people who looked down at her because of her birthplace, but most had grown to deal with it. Senye, someone who knew Rime on a personal basis, though they did not share that space often, never gave Rime a chance. Over the last decade of being here, Senye has avoided speaking to Rime or providing any shot for her to try and reach out. Communication and exposure to each other could have helped them, but not when one party was so keen on ignoring the role the other played.

Unfortunately, Rime did not get that chance to talk. Senye had left early that morning, before Rime rose with the town. Considering the delay Senye took even being there, Rime doubted the lady needed to hurry at first light. No, it was more likely that she wanted to avoid Rime once again.

Typical.

So Rime packed and readied to head back home. But before she could leave, her eyes cast a final glance over the mountains. It had been so long since she last stood before them, and despite the call urging her to cross over, to step into the cliffsides of Tsunizar, her place was here. It pained her to leave Worg and head back to Janheim. It pained her even more to know that the person who did go to Tsunizar had such a low opinion of the place. Or maybe it's just me, Rime thought. In a sick way, she hoped that was true. It would be easier if Senye only disliked Rime, not Tsunizar entirely.

But everything she said and thought about the nation spoke loud enough.

Volich met Rime at the carriage. "Your Royal Majesty."

"General," Rime replied with a smile. "Everything set for our departure?"

"Affirmative. I've left the handful of troops I brought to monitor the area. Hopefully, that will give the people some sense of security. They could use it after what happened."

Rime nodded. It would do the townsfolk good to have a commanding presence there, more because there usually was not. Ehvera might not be known for their military might, but it said enough to their own people when they had them stationed in vital places. Worg was tense, and though a military group sharing the land would normally make it worse, it was small enough that the acknowledgement from Janheim that it brought had the opposite effect.

The people knew they were being taken seriously and could feel safe for the temporary stay of the soldiers, few though there were.

The trip back filled Rime with trepidation for her home. Janheim, that was. She could not hide the wanting glances she sent to the mountains as they rode farther and farther away from them, but neither did she encourage them. They happened, and they would continue to happen, but that was not Rime's concern. She would act on her duties, not her emotions. Once she returned, she would act without bias on what she needed to do, not what she wanted to do.

And if that meant forgoing Tsunizar in favor of something less exciting, then that's what it would take.

When the towns grew more and more populated, and he castle loomed ahead, Rime readied herself for whatever Bohjin may have found in her absence, as well as what she had for him. News of the red magic bringing someone to their own death at their own hands would surely spread throughout the kingdom, and they would be ready to deal with that when it came.