A/N: Birthday gift for archsage2909.
Lucia stepped briskly down the corridor. She'd been away on business for several weeks, and she was relieved to be back in the familiar halls. A dozen thoughts occupied her mind, a testament to the multi-tasking her job required, but as she neared the throne room, one stamped out all the rest.
She found Elincia standing in front of a group of nobles. Her palms were up as if in surrender, but Lucia knew better than to think Elincia would surrender anything. More likely, her queen was placating some foolish complaint. Lucia moved to stand at Elincia's heel, at the ready to serve her however needed.
"Please," Elincia was saying, "Give it a bit more time. It's only been a few days, and our resources are currently tied up."
"In that orphan project, I assume?" The noble wrinkled his nose. "Forgive my impertinence, but I believe our request was more pressing."
"The merchant district is hardly in critical condition. I understand it's lacking in funds, but nobody will be endangered if they are delayed."
As Elincia spoke, heads turned toward Lucia, bringing Elincia's attention to her presence. In their younger days, Elincia would have thrown her arms around Lucia in welcome, but that was hardly appropriate behavior now, and so her eyes did the greeting for her.
That was just fine with Lucia. The sparkle in Elincia's eyes told her enough.
She held back from joining in the discussion. She wouldn't let courtesy stop her tongue if the situation called for her to defend Elincia, but her queen was holding her own quite well, and the group dispersed before she could look stressed enough for Lucia to cut in.
When they were finally alone, Elincia dropped the shoulders she'd been holding high and ran a hand through her hair. "I feel I could do twice as much for our people if so much of my time wasn't spent arguing," she said.
"You do as much for them as anyone could expect," Lucia said. "And more, for that matter. Don't mind those peacocks. Now that I'm here, anyone who harasses you will get a firm lashing."
Elincia's smile was tired, but genuine. "Oh, Lucia, I really am glad to have you back."
"As I am glad to be back. I trust you've been well?"
Elincia gestured toward the door the nobles had left through. "As well as can be expected. More importantly, did you encounter any difficulties?"
Lucia shook her head. "I'll give you a full report this evening. For now, you should try to get some rest."
Elincia frowned. "Oh, no, I couldn't. I've many documents to sign if Ohma's orphanage is to be rebuilt before its residents are forced to leave town."
Lucia stifled a sigh. She supposed it had been too much to hope for. "All right. But promise me you'll at least take it easy this weekend."
"This weekend…? That's when Ohma's bishop needs his resources by. I'll be busy until he can get them, I'm afraid."
Lucia frowned. Elincia hadn't seemed to catch her meaning at all. Her queen was as devoted to her people as Lucia was to her, but surely she'd spared a thought for that weekend.
Before Lucia could bring it up, a servant entered to announce that a duke wanted to see Lucia about the results of her survey. Once the servant had left, Lucia gave Elincia a wry smile. "Well, try to at least take your evening meal," she said before giving her queen a quick kiss and hurrying to her duties.
xxxxxxx
Elincia may not have been thinking about her birthday, but Lucia was. All the responsibilities in the world couldn't have erased her memories of Elincia's delight over spreads of sweet cakes and jams, her giggles at the shows Bastian put on, or her content smile during the quieter moments in the garden.
The garden especially stood out. Elincia had loved spending time there. In the spring, she'd helped the servants plant, and in summer, she'd picked the flowers for table settings, being careful not to pick all of each type. When fall came, she'd sit on the lawn and sigh at all of the plants shriveling away.
One year, Lucia's mother had given Elincia a book and taught her how to press the flowers so that a piece of each spring could live on through winter. The two girls had spent many summers working on it, giggling and placing flowers behind each other's ears.
Lucia knew it would never be like that again. But that wouldn't stop her from giving Elincia as happy a day as possible.
xxxxxxx
Lucia had assumed the others were having similar thoughts. But when she brought up the idea with Geoffrey, she found that he'd been planning nothing of the sort.
"To be sure, I long for the days when it was that simple," he said. "But the queen's every moment is taken up by her responsibilities. I fear she has no time even to rest, let alone celebrate."
Lucia placed a hand on her hip. Honestly, sometimes he's more theatrical than Bastian. "Which is why we're going to make time. It's only a few hours. Surely the queen is worth that much?"
"I…of course she is. Forgive me. What were your plans?"
"Nothing fancy. Knowing her, she'll feel guilty if she thinks we overdid it for her sake anyway. A quiet dinner between friends should be enough to lift her spirits."
Geoffrey nodded. Already, his reservations seem to have dropped. He'd be rushing around making sure everything was just right before she knew it. Lucia shook her head fondly before sobering.
"The problem, of course, is convincing her that the country will be fine without her for the afternoon. That, and keeping nosy noblemen out of the way," Lucia said.
"I assume it's best if this is all done quietly, then. I'll inform the cook."
"Good. As for the queen, it may be best if she doesn't know, either."
Geoffrey frowned. "Do you think it's fair to keep it from her?"
Lucia grinned. "If there's one thing I've learned in my business, it's that playing dirty is sometimes necessary. If it bothers you, just remember it's for her own good."
"Hm. I'll try."
Lucia left him to mull it over. Knowing him, he'd be squirming in his armor trying to keep a secret from her majesty. Lucia suppressed a chuckle. If she didn't have more pressing things to attend to, she'd have liked to stick around for that particular show.
xxxxxxx
The sonnets Bastian had rattled off about the brilliant generosity of Lucia's plan were ridiculous (and hadn't earned him the kiss he'd been hoping for), but at least she could trust him to play his part well. She'd assigned him entertainment, of course—Elincia had always loved his performances, and he had several connections with talented musicians—but she was sensible enough not to waste his political skills. Within the hour, he'd returned to her with the promise that the orphanage Elincia was supporting would have supplies before their deadline.
A weight lifted from Lucia's chest. The knowledge Elincia would finally have an opportunity to relax was the best news she'd heard in a long while. Though knowing her, she'll be happier for the orphans than herself, Lucia thought.
She smiled. She couldn't begrudge Elincia her selflessness. It was the trait Lucia loved most, after all, the one that kept her steady at her work no matter how dangerous it was.
The week passed in a whirlwind of activity. She scarcely had time to think about the party itself, and preparations blurred together with her other duties. She was still running over checklists when, on the day itself, she was going over every detail to make sure it was in order.
Geoffrey was rushing around asking about detail of the food and table settings. Well-meaning though he might have been, he was always one step behind Lucia, and eventually she sent him away to fetch things from the far end of the castle. She later spotted Bastian giving him a shoulder rub and what she could only assume was a firm lecture.
Finally, it was time for Lucia to fetch Elincia with the claim that a senator from Begnion wished to speak with her. The lie had been Bastian's idea. He'd said there was no chance Elincia would have her hopes up for anything after that.
He really was clever sometimes, Lucia thought, though she didn't bother to continue that line of thinking once Elincia had taken her proffered arm.
They arrived at the dining room, a small one in the castle's corner that had fallen out of use. Elincia cast a curious look at Lucia at the odd choice of meeting place. Lucia nodded and swept the door open before ushering Elincia inside.
Fanfare met them. Lucia resisted the urge to clutch her forehead. The musicians were skilled, certainly…at their individual instruments, which sounded more like a stampede of pegasii than a symphony when put together. Embarrassed, Lucia looked beside her and saw Elincia blinking in confusion at the scene.
They hadn't gone all out on decorations (at least, Lucia hadn't intended to, though Bastian and Geoffrey had other ideas), but the lavishly set table got the message across. Lucia held her breath. She hadn't had time to anticipate this moment, and now that it was here her chest felt compressed.
Elincia's eyes widened in a snapshot of young innocence Lucia had long missed. She closed and opened them as if expecting the scene to change before delight spread across her face. Lucia looked on fondly as Elincia cleared her throat.
"I…suppose there's no Begnion senator," Elincia said. The room collapsed into a round of chuckles. Contentment flooded Lucia.
"My apologies for keeping this from you, your majesty," Lucia said loudly enough for Geoffrey to hear in case his conscience had kept him awake at night. "But as Bastian often says, deceiving friends is sometimes necessary for plans to succeed."
Elincia nodded. "I understand. But I'm…my apologies, I'm just a bit shocked. I hadn't thought anybody remembered, let alone something like this…"
"What sort of friends do you take us for, Elincia?" Lucia said, though she took no offense. She knew it was simply how Elincia was, as she smiled to emphasize.
"It's not that…it's just that everyone's been so busy. I hadn't wanted to bother anybody by mentioning it."
"And what exactly do you think it is we've been so busy with?" Lucia said, cocking her head toward the corner where the musicians had—mercifully—stopped playing.
"I…I had no idea." Elincia widened her eyes before closing them. When she opened them again, it was with a smile. "You truly are the most devious group of vassals a queen could hope for."
Laughter went around the room again before everyone dispersed to settle around the table. Kieran rushed by balancing far too many plates of food at once, a sight that made Lucia cringe. She would've assumed the knight would have shouted their scheme off the rooftop by now, but Geoffrey had assured her when he first suggested Kieran as his assistant (lapdog, Lucia thought) that he would make every effort to fulfill the order of secrecy if Geoffrey told him it was his duty.
It was a moot point, now. The plan had already succeeded. Lucia turned to Elincia and offered her arm. "Well, shall we?"
Elincia hovered by the door with concern pulling at her delicate features. Lucia didn't need to be told why. She took advantage of their proximity to whisper into Elincia's ear. "Bastian provided for the orphanage already. You've no need to worry."
The pure happiness in Elincia's eyes was the greatest gift Lucia could have received. "Lucia, I…I can't thank you enough—"
"So why waste time trying? Come, we have a birthday to celebrate."
Elincia nodded and took Lucia's arm, giving it a squeeze before letting herself be led to the table. From there, a deluge of activity ensued that seemed to leave Elincia overwhelmed, but once it had cleared, they settled into a quiet rhythm that could only take place between the tightest group of friends.
Even in the midst of it, Lucia couldn't shed her role as supervisor. She found herself with dilemma when Kieran dropped a platter of food due to his idea that the most dutiful knights can balance their queen's lunch on their head, and once that was cleared up she couldn't stop looking over the table to make sure the rest of the food had made it.
Meanwhile, the musicians had begun playing again, a quiet piece this time. Lucia tried to let it calm her, knowing the tension in her muscles wasn't a good sign. It wouldn't do to ruin Elincia's birthday by snapping.
She surveyed the table again, focusing this time on the people around it. Bastian was regaling a close friend of the Ridell family with some exaggerated story. Geoffrey's neat, tiny bites looked comical with Kieran gnawing on a turkey bone next to him. Geoffrey had insisted upon using some set of his own silver ware for the table, and Lucia had to admit it looked nice.
None of it quite allowed her to lower her guard. Little did, after all—but the sight she came to when her eyes finally fell on the queen left her defenseless.
Elincia had been giggling all throughout the meal, but she was silent now as she stared with a hand clenched to her mouth at a plate of jam and sweet cakes. Gently, Lucia touched her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Would you like to take a walk?"
Elincia nodded. Lucia gestured to Bastian and received a nod in response before leading Elincia out of the room.
Some fresh air would have done them well, Lucia thought, but the courtyard wasn't exactly private, so they ended up in a deserted corridor. Lucia offered Elincia a bench before sitting next to her.
"Are you feeling better now?"
Elincia nodded. "Yes, thank you. Ah, I'm sorry, Lucia. After you went out of your way to do all of that for me, I had to go and…"
"Hush. You haven't ruined anything, if that's what you're thinking." Lucia handed her a handkerchief. "Did something distress you?"
Elincia dabbed her eyes. "No. I just…I was so touched, and…I guess everything's been wearing on me more than I want to admit." She chuckled, a half-hearted attempt that made Lucia's chest tighten. "I just didn't want spoil everyone's meal by breaking into tears. Thanks for understanding."
Lucia wrapped an arm around her. "Don't mention it," she said. She felt there was more to say, something to match the gratitude Elincia had expressed, but no words fit. She settled on nestling her face in the head of hair that had dropped onto her shoulder.
Once Elincia had stopped trembling, Lucia rubbed her shoulder. "Would you like to go back now? Bastian can only distract them for so long."
Elincia smiled. "I wouldn't underestimate Bastian, but I suppose we should return before anyone worries."
"My brother's there, so that's a lost cause already," Lucia said. Elincia giggled and took the hand Lucia offered her.
Before they got far, Elincia paused. Lucia stopped beside her. "Is something the matter?"
"No, it's just…before we rejoin the others, I wanted to…"
"Yes?"
Elincia placed a kiss on Lucia's cheek. "Thank you. For everything."
Lucia smiled. "It's really not enough. But you deserve every bit of it."
"Lucia…"
Lucia darted her eyes around before pressing her lips to Elincia's. She pulled back before they could get carried away. "I have something for you in private, but now's not that time. Do you suppose…"
Elincia smiled. "Meet me in my quarters later."
Lucia stole one last kiss before bowing low. "Gladly," she said.
xxxxxxx
They returned to find Bastian in the middle of a juggling act. Thankfully, he was rather more skilled at it than Kieran, and so nothing had been broken, let alone maimed. Geoffrey cast Elincia a worried look, but he kept a respectful silence while she slid back into her chair.
Finally, Lucia relaxed. It was hard for her to focus on whether the food was all in order when Elincia was laughing beside her, a pure, boisterous sound Lucia hadn't realized how much she'd missed.
After a round of desserts that Elincia and Lucia both polished off with relish, Bastian brought out the gifts. Elincia stared with wide eyes at the pile.
"Surely it's not surprising to receive gifts on your birthday?" one of her uncle's friends said with a chuckle.
"I…but everyone's already done so much…"
Elincia seemed a bit distressed at the amusement that followed. She turned beseechingly to Lucia, who nodded. "As long as everyone's already gotten them for you, there's no point in not accepting them, right?"
"I guess you're right," Elincia said.
Lucia's own present was safe in her room. She'd already made a date for that evening, so she sat back and watched the others with her hands folded in her lap. Various family friends gave Elincia dresses and jewels. Kieran had written some war chant…sonnet…something with Bastian's help, which Elincia giggled loudly throughout (the glass or two of wine probably helped). Bastian himself gave her a book of poetry, which he insisted on reading half of out loud right then and there. A short while later, Lucia caught him handing the queen a heavier-looking tome, which, based on the snatches of whispering she overheard, had been the late king's most used reference for political theory.
While the others were occupied with cleaning up after Kieran's attempts to mimic Bastian's juggling, Geoffrey took Elincia aside. She returned with a gold necklace and a touched expression. Lucia caught Geoffrey's eye and gave him an approving look. He shuffled away to lecture Kieran.
The hours slid away. Before Lucia knew it, the family friends had left and the servants had come in to clean. She didn't have a chance to dwell on her disappointment that it was over. She had evening duties to attend to, and a few hours of partying was quite enough for her. Besides, she still had one appointment to look forward to.
xxxxxxx
As Lucia's skill in stealth came in handy when it was time to sneak into Elincia's chambers at night, she wasn't worried about getting caught, but she still felt a flutter of nerves as she slunk down the corridor. Perhaps it was simply the excitement of the day's events keeping her on edge, but she suspected it more to do with the package nestled under her arm.
To be nervous about giving her a gift at this point…Lucia shook her head at herself. It wasn't as if she was a trainee seeking approval. This was her queen, her Elincia in question, and for her, everything had to be exactly right.
Lucia clasped the package tightly against her. Its contents didn't measure up to the extravagant silks Elincia had received that day, but Lucia had a hunch it would do the trick.
Her hand hovered over the doorknob. Elincia had told her once not to bother with knocking, as the noise might reach other ears and she valued their privacy together more than she felt the need to keep secrets from Lucia. Without a sound, Lucia turned the knob and slipped inside.
Elincia was sprawled across her bed, her nightgown wrinkled against the sheets. She sat up, hair mussed from the pillow, and scooted to the edge of the bed, feet dangling off. She patted the mattress beside her and smiled. They didn't speak until Lucia had given her hand and lips several rounds of kisses.
Elincia giggled when they parted. "Oh, Lucia, that day was the best." Her legs kicked the air. It was a far cry from the woman who had sat with poise and thanked everyone for their work as the dinner plates were cleared away. Lucia smiled fondly.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. It didn't go as smoothly as I'd planned, but at least everyone's spirits were up."
"Yes, I was glad to see everyone so happy. It's been so long since they've all smiled that much."
"Elincia…"
Elincia's brightness dimmed. Lucia frowned at the worry that replaced it. "Is something wrong?"
"It's just…well…"
"Yes?"
"After everything you've done, I don't want to sound negative, but…"
Lucia couldn't help but feel concerned. She thought she'd prepared for everything. What had gone wrong? "What is it? You know you can speak freely to me."
"Yes, well…Lucia…"
"Yes?"
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
Lucia's poker face could survive threats of torture, but she couldn't hide her surprise at the question. "Of course I did. Was that worrying you?"
"A little. You just seemed so tense and wrapped up in your thoughts, so I thought I'd leave you alone for a little while, but you were so quiet…"
Lucia thought back to the party, trying to remember what had given that impression. She'd only thought she was focused, but obviously it had come off differently. "I…didn't realize. I was just trying to supervise everything, and I was quite content to watch everyone enjoying themselves. I hadn't meant to distress you. Forgive me."
"Oh, Lucia…you don't need forgiveness. It's just that I wanted everything to be like it once was, and I thought…I'm being selfish, aren't I?"
Lucia brushed a lock of hair out of Elincia's face. "There isn't a selfish bone in your body, my dear." She kissed Elincia's cheek. "If anything, I was the selfish one. I was so wrapped up in doing the job rightthat I wasn't taking your feelings into account."
She didn't display it for fear of upsetting Elincia, but Lucia felt deeply foolish. Had she really gotten so wrapped up in the details that she'd forgotten the most important thing? Hadn't Ike already taught her that lesson in the Mad King's War? Yet here she was, having behaved in a way she would have mocked her brother for.
"As long as you enjoyed yourself, it's fine," Elincia said. "However…I know how dedicated you are, but please try to take some time for yourself, too. It would put me at ease if you did."
Lucia smiled thinly. "And here I had been planning to give you that same speech. Very well. We'll both look after ourselves…and each other. All right?"
Elincia squeezed Lucia's hand. "Of course."
Lucia would have liked to hold her gaze longer, but she found her eyes drifting to the package sitting next to her. Elincia followed it. "Lucia? That's…"
"I told you I had something for you, didn't I?"
"After everything you already—"
"Don't say it," Lucia said with a laugh. "Just take it."
Elincia slipped her hands into the bag and pulled out a small book. Lucia felt the flutter return as Elincia pried open the pages. She let out a soft gasp, touching the contents gingerly before turning page after page, stroking each flower and moving her lips wordlessly as if spellbound. It was one of the most gratifying moments in Lucia's life.
Finally, Elincia looked up at Lucia in wonder. "Lucia, this is…"
"You remember pressing those flowers, don't you?"
"Yes! Of course…Of course I...but after the invasion, I thought…How…?"
"The gardens may all have been trampled, but certain treasures of Castle Delbray's were kept safe. I sent a message to them to look for it, and thankfully, it wasn't damaged a bit."
Elincia set the book down as carefully as if it was made of glass before throwing her arms around Lucia. "Thank you, Lucia."
Lucia returned the embrace, burrowing her face in Elincia's hair and breathing in a scent she could swear smelled like grass. "Happy birthday, Elincia," Lucia whispered. As Elincia tightened her hold, Lucia stroked her back and promised herself that next year, the two of them would return to Castle Delbray and spend the afternoon in the gardens.