Words: 567
Time: 10 minutes approx.
Music: Les Miserables—Act II
She who was Eddis sat quietly in her garden, staring off into space. She did not feel the need to concentrate overly during one of her few breaks, and knew that she was guarded if she needed to be. With her Thief off in Attolia Eddis was more busy than ever, and found that the few moments of respite would be greatly welcomed later.
A ruffling of cloth and a heavy presence descended onto the bench beside her, air ruffling out from under him. Eddis looked over her shoulder and saw beside her the Magus of Sounis, his face turned toward her, gray streaks in his hair shining in the light. "My dear Helen, what can you possibly be doing out in the garden during your overly busy day?" She sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and ignoring the fact that anyone who wanted to could see all the way up her skirts. Gen had once told her that an Attolian guard had called her angry expression 'a look that could melt lead' and all the residents of the royal palace knew it.
"I am just...trying to rest." She responded, leaning her head onto his broad shoulder, eyes falling shut. A comforting arm wrapped around her side, and the Queen was pulled in tight against the older man. She could smell his particular smell, one that was a combination of books and honey soap. He always used the same soap. "The days get shorter. The news from Sounis is worrying, and Gen is causing a heap of trouble over in Attolia."
"I hope Sophos is alive just as much as you do." The Magus said softly, his hand gently rubbing her back. "If he died I would blame myself."
Eddis looked up, for a moment forgetting that she was Eddis and once more becoming Helen. "You cannot blame yourself! If Sophos dies, it was because Sounis--" she was cut off by a chuckle from the magus. His eyes were closed with laughter, his curly black hair bouncing.
"Oh, how I wish it were that simple." The laughter died as abruptly as it came, and he stared out at the Hephestial Mountains, clearly thinking of his home in Sounis. "But it is not. Had I been more careful with my management of the way I taught Sophos, perhaps the king would have declined to exile him and this could all be averted."
"For this to all be averted, I would have to not send Gen to be put into the prison." Helen said softly, and the magus looked down at her in surprise.
"I mean...not everything. If I had been careful about Sophos then he might have a better chance of survival." Helen smiled softly and leaned up to kiss his cheek lightly, lips brushing against his slightly unshaved beard, stubble sticking up over his tanned cheek.
"The good with the bad, my dear Magus. The good with the bad." He chuckled again in reply, and pulled the Queen against him. For a moment, they could be together and rest from the trials and tribulations of the day, but then they would be drawn ruthlessly back into the political malestrom. There was no time for a queen or a magus to simply be. They had to keep three small countries from tearing each other apart.
But, for a moment, they could pretend it was all fine.