The Queen, the Murderer, and the Governor's Wife

Chapter 1

"I do not like him."

The older woman rolled her eyes at her sister, taking a sip from her wine glass. Her husband though only stared at his sister-in-law.

"What do you not like about him?" the man asked before looking back down at his food in front of him and picking at it. "I am told that he is one of our top fighters. Not to mention, I myself have signed off with your mother and father on this. Do you not trust my judgment, Susannah?"

The timid eighteen year old almost seemed shocked by the accusation and immediately shook her head. "N-No, my king. I only meant-"

"Your mother and father are both doing this to ensure a line between the governor of the Fount and our family," he told her, pausing for a moment at the sound of that. His family. Hardly. His family only consisted of he and his brother at that point. And his wife, fine, but she hardly counted. They were friends at best. "Is there something about him that we do not know?"

"I-"

"It does not matter if you like him or not, Susannah," Judith told her from her spot at the table next to her husband. Reaching up, she adjusted the crown upon her head, never quite getting used to it. She had married into the royal family nine days before her sixteenth birthday and two months later was declared queen when her husband's father was killed by a gnawer attack. Still, the twenty year old had never quite gotten used to the idea. Queen. Ha. "Do you think I liked Lucien?"

He glanced at her, frowning slightly. "I do not find myself unfavorable, Judith."

"You know what I meant."

"He is well known for his ways," Susannah told her king and queen then. She knew that her older sister would not care for her pleas, as Judith had never been too kind to her, but Lucien had always seemed like a caring king. Perhaps he could help.

"What ways?" Lucien asked, still only poking at his greenery. He did not rather like his vegetables. Never had. "I know him only by his fighting reputation. That his father governs the Fount Do you think of him a brute? That he shall abuse you?"

"N-No."

"Then what?"

"I said that it does not matter," Judith repeated then. "Solovet and Vikus both agree that this is the right path for you, Susannah. You are of age. Stop being petulant."

"I am not being-"

"This is what must be done. You always whine. You have whined over every decision ever made in your life. You are too afraid to make your own, but do not like the ones that people make for you. Perhaps you would rather die an old spinster in a-"

"Judith," Lucien sighed, pressing a hand to his head. She stopped at his command, but he could feel her eyes shooting him a dagger. "Susannah, just tell me exactly what it is."

"He is a drunk," she finally said. "Not to mention, it is well known that he has many…women and-"

"You are not marrying him for love," Judith chided her younger sister again. "You are-"

"Stop it. Now." Lucien sent a sharp look at his wife. "Honestly, Judith, this is your younger sister. Do you wish for her an unhappy life?"

"If it means better for our kingdom, Lucien? Yes."

Susannah folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them again. Softly, she said, "If only there was another way. I-I would marry anyone else. If Mother and Father pick again, perhaps-"

"It has already been arranged," Lucien told her with a sigh. "Why did you not tell your mother-"

"I tried," she told him in earnest. "I told Father as well. He said that he would talk to her, but it did no good. She insisted that it was for the best, that it had to be done. She is most like Judith."

"You dare insult me? To my face?" Judith snorted then before holding her cup up and getting ready to call for more wine. Lucien reached over though and took the cup from her and sent a sharp look to the servant that came over.

"You have had more than your fair share."

Judith jerked away from Lucien then. "You do not control me. I-"

"I do," he told her softly then before shaking his head. "And this…man shall control your sister. York, was it? And if she does not wish to marry him-"

"I did not want you and look how this turned out," she argued back at him.

"Horribly?"

She picked up his cup of ale then and threw it in his face before storming off. Susannah looked most concerned, as did the servants who rushed over with cloths to help dry him. Even a guard in the doorway halfway drew his sword, as if awaiting Lucien command. The king was unsure if he could really order his wife's death over something so silly, but only shook his head, standing himself and calling them off.

"I am sorry, Susannah," he told her.

"I am too. My sister does not-"

"Not that," Lucien said, shaking his head. If it was still their first year of that forced marriage, he might have wasted time being angry with Judith. Maybe. By that point however, he was more than used to her. "About this…arrangement. I shall look into it, but your mother is most insistent."

"I am aware," she told him softly.

"Cheer up," he told the younger woman. "You will be most busy with your doctorial studies and he with all the wars your sister's temper shall get us into. You shall never see each other, I am sure. Not to mention, I am sure if he does you wrong, not only will he have your mother to worry about, but also your brother. This York man will shape up with marriage. I am almost certain."

She bowed her head then, closing her eyes. "I-I'm sorry for troubling you."

"Nonsense," he said, heading out of the large dining room then. Shaking himself, as if to shed himself of the ale he was drenched in, he added simply, "I was in need of a good bath."

"Hamnet, you are covered in blood! What have you-"

"Only practicing with blood balls, dear sister. Do not look so worried."

"I am not worried," Judith said with a roll of her eyes, her signature. "And tell me, what brings you here? My bullheaded husband or our feeble sister? Honestly, I do not know how she plans to b a doctor when she cannot even speak to her own family without-"

"Why would Lucien and Susannah require me to council you?" her twin asked, giving her a long stare. "Or is there something I should know, Judith?"

She gave him another eye roll, staring out at the city before them. She was at one of the many balconies in the palace, her favorite, overlooking a good portion of her kingdom.

"What did you want then, brother? If not that?" She gave him a once over. "And you should truly bathe before addressing me. Especially in such a manner. You are covered in blood and have the stench of…of something rotting, honestly. I am your queen."

"You are also rather intoxicated."

She made a gesture with her hands. "It is hard not to be, when dealing with my foolish husband. If he wished to marry my sister, he should have."

"What are you going on about now, Judith?" Hamnet came to stand next to her, leaning against the stone railing. "Because I am sure that it is not as bad as you are making it out to be."

"We have the gnawers infiltrating our lands, pushing the nibblers further back once more, out of their lands again, and he is listening to the pleas of our younger sister to not be married off?" Judith snorted. "No one listened to me."

"And why would anyone? You were getting a good man."

"Is this…York not a good man? Mother-"

"He is a threat in battle, but he is a heavy drinker," Hamnet said, his jaw setting then. "I like him, I suppose. Or rather I have no hate for him. We have fought together before. A few times."

"Then you are for the marriage?"

Hamnet sighed. "Susannah is very…"

"I know."

"He is a known womanizer," Hamnet said with a shrug of his shoulder. "Marriage means something to her, Judith. She's very trusting. She'll only end up hurt."

"She does not love him or something silly like that," Judith said with a shake of her head. "It is merely business."

"Merely," he said dryly. "I know that you are very cold, Judith, but our sister is not. I am sure that she has romanticized her marriage and-"

"And she shall take what she gets," Judith cut him off. "Solovet could have stuck her with someone much worse."

"Oh? And if Lucien was bringing other women into your chambers, you would-"

"He is not."

He snorted. "If I was married to you, I would."

Judith elbowed him then, rather hard. Her twin only laughed, shaking his head slightly.

"You annoy me to no end, Hamnet. Go then. I came here to think."

"I have not even gotten to what I wished to discuss," he told her with a frown.

"Then hurry and finish your business here. My patience has worn thin."

"Life would be much easier for us all if you were a fun drunk."

"Get to it, Hamnet."

He sighed before shaking his head slightly. "I only wished to tell you that our father wishes to arrange a meeting with the gnawers. He-"

She waved him off. "Lucien and I have both told him that-"

"I know what you have told him, that you do not wish for peace, you wish for vengeance. But you know Father. He-"

"He does not expect us to meet with his foolhardy friend, does he? That damn rat. I have tired of his crooked ways."

"I am sure that Ripred tires of yours as well."

"He has no bearing on anything. He has his little life and we have ours. We do not bother his family, currently. We are at war with a specific sect of gnawers. We-"

"He claims that-"

"He is father's friend or acquaintance; that is fine. I do not care and neither does my stupid husband. However, I am not in the mood to indulge him currently. I do not plead for peace. I plea for annihilation of the entire race of gnawers."

"And you wonder why Ripred fears for his life."

"He should. I do not tell him and the others, but when we finish with this sect, we shall go for them all, before they are able to form their own government again."

"You are drunk, sister," Hamnet said softly then, openly staring at her, though she stayed forwards, looking out at her city. Her realm. "You speak of many things you should not."

"Who here do I fear?" She grinned at him then, but it wasn't a happy one. "This is all mine, Hamnet, and no one can take it from me."

"Ah, but I can," a voice said from behind them. "This is only yours because it is mine."

She had apparently been saving the biggest eye roll of all for that moment, shaking her head before turning out towards the balcony again. "Tell me, Lucien, do you still reek of ale?"

"No," he told her, toneless. "Yet you still do of wine."

Hamnet glanced at his sister before at her husband, who joined them out on the balcony. "Perhaps I should go."

"Perhaps you should. Good tidings to you, Hamnet," Lucien said. The man bowed his head slightly, in respect, before hurrying off. His twin had no such respect for her husband and jerk away from him when Lucien tried to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"I do not wish to speak with you currently, Lucien."

"Neither do I wish to speak with you. However, you made quite the little scene."

"You are lucky I did not punch you, the way you-"

"No," he said, working hard to keep his tone even then. "You, Judith, are lucky I do not strike you now. Honestly."

"Attempt it."

He let out a slight groan, standing behind her then, just watch her. Both of them could remember being only fourteen and fifteen when they were informed that they were promised to one another. They never spent any time together, not even when they found that out, so the days leading to their lavish wedding was when they truly got to know each other. And perhaps, in another life, they could have been friends. Maybe. He liked certain things about her and she enjoyed his company at times, when they were both in better moods and not dealing with so many stressful things at once, but never would they be lovers. Never.

"I am very lenient towards you," he told her softly then, after taking a few breaths. "I tolerate not only you, but also your sister. I-"

"I have never asked you to speak with her. I hardly speak with her. My biggest hope is that she would marry this man and leave the palace, so I do not have to see her as much."

"Judith-"

"You and your brother are close. That is fine. But I and my siblings are not like you. That does not make me a cold person."

"That specific thing? No, it does not, but other things-"

"Lucien-"

"I am not meaning to fight, Judith. Honestly. And I do not know why we are. Because I heard your sister tell me her qualms of marrying some man? I would think most women would find my concern…attractive."

"I am not most women."

"Believe me, I am aware."

He would have gotten an elbow, but he was smarter than Hamnet and easily caught her arm when she tried it.

"I was only humoring the girl, anyhow," Lucien told her with a shake of his head. "Your mother is colder than you. She is unnerving, really. She does not care what this man may do to your sister. She-"

"Susannah is weak. My mother knows this. If he was some horrible beast, she would not being doing this. I have heard that he drinks; many do. I have heard that he has quite the…appetite for women; most do. He is young, yes?"

"I do not know."

"Older than us," she said with a shrug. "Yet still young. Not to mention, he puts his life in danger constantly. He has found something to take his mind off it."

"You are full of excuses for a man you do not know and have none for your poor, fragile sister."

"Our marriage is young," she told him then, still not turning to face him. "I am preparing for when it is I that needs comforting."

"You always were your own best consoler."

"Aye."

"Then again, you are your only friend as well, so-"

"Lucien."

He released her arm slowly then before shaking his head. "I have things to attend to. I have a meeting, if you would believe it, with the head of my army. If you wish to join-"

"Of course. Cannot disappoint Mother," she sighed, taking one last look at her city before turning to face him. They had been the same height until they hit eighteen and then he hit some sort of growth spurt and now she had to look up at him. Staring up at him, she thought for a moment about telling him that she was sorry, for the way she had acted, but the thought did not last long. She shook it off and walked around him. She had treated him a certain way since they had been married; why change it so suddenly?

"Coming?" she called over her shoulder to the man. He only watched her for a moment, giving the city that truly belonged to him one last look before nodding.

"If you spill any thing on me this time however, Judith, I shall not be as forgiving."

"Who needs forgiveness? I care not if you hate me."

"Especially considering you did not wish to marry me," he told her, her words from before jumping back at them.

"And you did I?"

"You are very beautiful."

"Flattery will not get you far."

"Who wishes to flatter you? I do not. If anything, you should be flattering me. Wench."

He got elbowed then, but he was expecting it. He had been begging for one. It only made him grin slightly and move to set pace with her. For as bad as Judith was, she was still manageable. And she was never boring.

Never.

"I spoke with Lucien and Judith."

Vikus smiled at his youngest daughter as she came into the room. He was busy, writing a letter to the Fount, informing the governor of state of affairs with certain other political heads. Speaking with Susannah would be a welcome break, considering the head of the currency in Regalia was currently on the outs with another colleague and Vikus was finding difficulty describing the situation accurately. He feared that he would have to fly out to the Fount in an attempt to explain.

"About the gnawers? Are they willing to meet for peace?"

"N-No, Father," she said then, bowing her head as she came over to the table he was seated at. Sitting down across from him, she said, "I forgot about that."

"Oh," Vikus said slowly before smiling at his daughter again. Susannah was always so submissive. He had a hard time speaking to her in anything other than a loving way. He was always afraid of hurting her feelings otherwise. "That is alright, dear. What did you wish to tell me then? What did you speak to your sister and King Lucien about?"

"About this…marriage."

He sighed, moving to rest a hand against his head. "Susannah, your mother has told you-"

"Father, I do not-"

"I do not wish for this either. Your mother is insistent though."

"And can you not-"

"You have already been promised. If we broke that promise, it would not look good. And King Lucien has told Royce that in exchange for you, his son will follow in his footsteps and retain the Fount. You shall be a governor's wife, Susannah. Do try and see how nice that shall be. Your sister a queen and you-"

"I do not wish-"

"I know, dear, I know."

"I am studying medicine," she reminded him softly then. "I do not need a husband."

"No," he sighed. "But your mother needs the Fount. And with you in the Fount and Judith here, in Regalia, she shall have absolute power. Not to mention your brother in the military, keeping her name good, she cannot do wrong."

"Was that the point of having us then, Father? To secure your social standings in Regalia?"

"It is not that simple, Susannah," he told her with a shake of her head. "You know this. This boy, York, he is-"

"He is not a boy."

Vikus sighed. "And you are not a girl. Not anymore."

"Then you cannot make my decisions."

"I do not think we can either," he agreed. "But how shall you defy your mother, hmmm?"

"I just will not marry him."

"And she will disown you."

"I do not need her." Then Susannah ducked her head again, embarrassed. Her father only reached across the table to cup one of her hands.

"You will be married to him, Susannah. We both know that you shall. And should he do you wrong, I am sure your sister, brother, and mother will all make sure it does not happen for long."

"And what of you?" she asked softly.

"I currently am fighting a rebellion of my own," he told her, moving to sit up straighter once more.

"Oh?"

"Against your sister and her husband, you could say."

"In what way, Father?" Susannah asked, glancing around. They were alone, but still; his words were treason. Even for the father of a queen.

"They do not wish for peace. I know that they don't. So I shall find it myself." He shook his head. "I asked both you and your brother to speak with Judith about it, but it is no matter. Even if she shall not meet with them, I shall."

"How will you?"

"I and Euripides shall sneak out," he told her, nodding his head slightly at her look of shock. "Your mother is no the only one with good ideas, my dear. She just believes she is."

"I know, Father," Susannah sighed.

"Your sister and her husband shall be very busy, you know, with what is in front of their faces. I have not seen either of them in at least three days. They shall not notice if I vanish for a few then."

"And what of Solovet?"

"Your mother hardly even speaks to me these days, so concerned with the movement of the gnawers." Vikus shook his head slightly. "If I can get peace between-"

"Judith will not be happy when she finds out-"

"Your sister is a very unhappy person," Vikus sighed. "She is much like your mother, you know."

"I know."

He nodded towards the door then. "I must finish this, Susannah. I am sorry about your…displeasure, but it is what it is. I cannot do anything. Your mother however-"

"She gets angry when I speak of it."

"It is only a few weeks away," he told her with a sigh before shaking his head. "Perhaps you should just get to know the man, huh? Try to spend some time with him this week, should he be willing. I'm sure he would like to get to know you too."

"Y-Yes, Father."

"You can go now. I shall see you tomorrow perhaps."

She nodded her head once more before hurrying away. She had only meant to check in with her father, after all. She had a hands-on lesson down in the hospital wing very soon. She would assist a doctor as he made his rounds. Plunging herself into her studies was always a good way to forget about her problems.

But what a problem it was. She truly did not wish to marry that man. At all. If all she had been told was true, why would she? And he clearly did not wish to marry her either. It seemed horribly unfair for the both of them, to be forced into a marriage by their parents, but then, what was she expecting? It was the misgiving of being born into a prominent family. She would never struggle a day of her life, but she had very little freedoms otherwise.

Still, her father could be right. Maybe she and this York would get along. It was possible, after all. Judith and Lucien did not seem to care for each other much, but now they were at least…well…she did just throw wine on him…

Sigh. Maybe avoiding marriage altogether was just the way to go.

If you really think about it, Solovet and Vikus have, like, the weirdest children. You have one who was a queen that you hear nothing about, another that went crazy after committing mass murder, and then the other seems perfectly normal and is only brought up in the last book, really. So I guess, really, if anyone deserves some back-story, it's them.