A/N: okay, so just to clarify this part of the story takes place AFTER Isabel sets the fire but before Isabel has reached Natalie. the fire was set at dawn, the funeral is supposed to take place at a similar time, while the parliamentary address is meant to be in the afternoon. i realized how inconsistent and confusing I've been with the distance between kingdoms and just the timing of things, so i apologize! on with the chapter!
"You were marvelous up there, sweetheart," Hope clutched Amy to her chest, a thickness to her voice that suggested she was holding back tears.
Amy savored the sense of security her mother's tight embrace offered, tilting her head downwards to bury her face in the crook of her mother's neck the way she had done as a little girl. In her hasty decision to go it all alone, Amy seemed to have forgotten the fact that her family was her rock, and that they would do anything to support her. And yet, it felt like something was missing was missing. The hug should have felt almost suffocating at this point, as a second pair of arms would have fastened themselves around her and her mother before delivering a chuckle and a cheeky quip.
"You made your grandmother so proud," Hope sighed, the warmth of her compliment combined with her gentle strokes in Amy's hair causing the Madrigal Queen to blink away tears of her own.
"Thanks, mom, you made her proud too," Amy smiled into Hope's shoulder, before pulling away.
A tender silence fell between mother and daughter as Hope fiddled with the silver buttons on the sleeves of Amy's black dress, her display of maternity extended by the fingers she combed through Amy's hair.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," a deep voice interrupted in received pronunciation, snapping Hope out of her trance.
Amy watched curiously as her mother locked eyes with Vikram Kabra, lips slightly parted in surprise before her features settled for an impenetrable grimace.
"You just did, Vikram," she responded stiffly, and Amy spotted Ian over Vikram's shoulder, looking as puzzled as Amy felt. There was a tension between the two that Amy could not place, or even surmise the origin of. Amy frowned as Vikram's eyes seemed to drop momentarily to her mother's lips.
No, Amy had probably just imagined that.
"My apologies. May I speak with you, Hope?" he asked, politely offering her his arm.
Hope stared at it blankly, a silence descending upon the pair that felt extremely odd in light of such a simple question. Amy also realized how inappropriate it was that they had addressed each other with such familiarity, using "Hope" and "Vikram" instead of their respective titles.
Her mother responded with a sharp nod, leading Vikram away from Ian and Amy. Amy noticed how Vikram's arm fell to his side, unaccepted.
She sighed as Ian's fingers laced through her own, her full attention quickly falling into his possession.
"Thank you for coming," she smiled up at him, giving his hand a squeeze. Her heart began to race as he returned her smile. He was so infuriatingly beautiful.
"But of course, your grandmother was a great stateswoman, like you," Ian said earnestly, "I have great respect for you both."
The blood rushed to Amy's cheeks at the compliment, and she was about to respond when the sound of her mother's voice slightly raised caused her focus to tilt back to her mother and Vikram, who appeared to be engaged in a confrontation of sorts.
"What do you think they have to discuss?" Amy whispered, jutting her chin forward to indicate Hope and Vikram.
Ian exhaled exasperatedly through his nostrils, eyes narrowed in his father's direction. "Bloody hell, he needs to move on," he muttered under his breath.
The insinuation of some sort of unprofessional relationship between Hope and Vikram caused Amy's eyebrows to fly into her hairline. "What?" she demanded, jaw falling to the floor, "what do you mean by that?"
Oh Madeleine, her mom? And Vikram Kabra?
"I'm pretty sure my dad used to fancy your mum," Ian grumbled, Amy's eyes widening in surprise, her intensifying expression of shock causing Ian to delve into a frantic explanation.
"I'm not completely certain, of course, but based on things my mum has said and the way he's spoken of and to your mum, I'm guessing so," Ian offered, panicked by the anger brewing on Amy's features.
"But he would never try anything, you have my word, he's not like that," Ian rushed to explain, relieved by the decline of her anger into thoughtfulness.
"Oh my god, do you think they used to be together, or something," Amy mumbled disbelievingly, hands flying out of Ian's and planting themselves on her hips. A frown etched itself on Amy's face. Picturing her mom with anyone but her dad made her shudder.
"I dunno," Ian shrugged, "but my mum knows he fancied her — actually, she thinks he still does — so it's possible that they were, at some point?"
"That's so weird," Amy blurted, eyes fluttering to the crowd to locate her father. She wanted him to march right up to Vikram Kabra and take her mother far, far away from him.
"Agreed," Ian nodded, "but still, I wonder what happened between them," he frowned, scrutinizing their exchange for clues.
Amy glared at Vikram, overcome by a surge of protectiveness as she watched her mother's lips twitch into a smile at something the former King said.
A sense of alarm struck Amy. If her mother and Vikram Kabra, formerly a Madrigal Queen and Lucian King, hadn't been able to stay together. . .
She snuck a look at Ian from underneath her lashes, searching for reassurance in his current state of coolheaded-ness.
Unfortunately, his jaw had tensed, and his eyes sunk into hers with the weight of their mutual realization.
"We don't even know what happened between them," Ian reminded her gently, cooling quickly, "and as the most brilliant woman I know once said, 'we are not our parents'".
Amy decided he was right.
"Make it quick, Vikram, I'm in mourning," Hope snapped, her resolve impenetrable. She noticed his Adam's apple quiver, while a deep breath exited his lips, and grappled with the guilt that came with addressing him so severely. She knew better than anyone how soft-spoken he really was, and he wouldn't have asked to speak with her in such a public setting were it not urgent.
"It's about our children," he explained, "don't look at them, they probably have enough questions about this exchange as it is".
"What about them?" Hope asked, knowing full well what he intended to bring up, and dreading the discussion.
"You can see as well as I can that they have become. . . involved," Vikram's enunciation of the word suggested that he thought it to be the most vile conglomeration of syllables in spoken language.
"Yes, I'm aware," Hope nodded, "but it's not our place to pry".
"It's not a practical relationship, Hope, you know it's not," he urged, causing her temper to flare, "they both have titles and their own kingdoms to rule, and if they plan to get married-"
"Is it a Lucian tradition to stop your children from marrying those they love?" Hope wondered, the soft sadness in her tone silencing Vikram.
"Hope-"
"No, I understand your concern but frankly, Amy and Ian have already accomplished far more in a few short months than the two of us managed to in decades, and if they want to be together I'm sure they will find a way, so we will leave them be unless they seek our counsel," Hope decided, an accusatory glint in her jade eyes, which skimmed across the tightness of Vikram's jaw. As his bright amber gaze penetrated hers, Hope found herself slipping into old habits as she counted flecks of onyx and hazel, noting the faint shadows that ensconced once unworried eyes. Something deep inside her seemed to stir, and she tried with every fiber of her being to still it.
"As you wish," Vikram bowed his head, and Hope wanted to smack herself for admiring the handsome, aristocratic lines of his profile. She was a happily married woman, for Madeleine's sake!
"Wonderful, now if you'll excuse me," Hope attempted to slip away, before she stiffened as familiar fingers brushed her wrist.
"Just a moment, your Majesty," Vikram's breath tickled her ear, and a wave of nostalgia crashed over her as she was claimed by a shudder.
"Yes?" she sniffed, eyes averted, a lump in her throat. She didn't need this right now, her mom was dead and she'd been crying all day, and this was about to send her over the edge once more.
"My duty to my kingdom and my family has always come first, but if I didn't think you could find happiness without me I would never have left your side," he whispered hoarsely, causing her heartbeat to come to a dangerous halt.
"Why are you telling me this?" she murmured, blinking away the stupid tears that stung her eyes.
"I just want you to know that it puts me at ease to think that even though I couldn't make you mine, you found someone who loves you the way I do," Vikram said firmly, eyes like molten gold as they poured into hers, "and I will always, always, wish the best for you and all the people that make you happy".
"Thank you," she offered him a watery smile, a foreign sense of regret piercing her heart.
"However, you must understand," he continued quietly, "that you are the love of my life, and it's alright that you don't feel the same way, but for me, it has always been, and always will be, you".
Hope's words were caught in her tightening throat, suppressed feelings swirling in clouds of confusion that fogged up the lenses of her mind.
So she did the next best thing she could think of.
She ran away.
"Thank you for coming, Sinead," Amy smiled in an earnest display of gratitude, clasping the Ekat Queen's hands and accepting the gentle squeeze they gave her own.
"Of course, Grace Cahill may not have been from my own kingdom, but she was a great ruler," Sinead said kindly. Amy overlooked the haughty undertones of her compliment, and thanked her.
"Were you by her side when she passed?" Sinead asked, eyebrows drawn together in inquisitive sympathy.
"No," Amy replied bitterly, a sad smile gracing her lips, "I was away on a diplomatic mission in the Lucian Kingdom".
"Diplomatic mission?" Sinead raised an eyebrow, "surely, you mean a conjugal visit!"
Amy's mouth popped open in surprise as the older girl chuckled demurely, sobering quickly. "I apologize," she nodded, "it is unlike me to make such an insensitive jest, and inappropriate of me to do so at your grandmother's wake".
"What gave us away?" Amy ignored her "apology", frowning in concern. Amy had thought it bad enough that their parents, their siblings, the heads of the Madrigal Ambassadors, and most of the staff at the Lucian palace had been aware of her relationship with Ian. But if Sinead had noticed there was something between them, it meant that there were certainly others who knew, and Amy had so wished to keep things quiet. So much for privacy, Amy grumbled internally.
"Well, you and His Majesty are not exactly discreet, with all the hand holding and caressing and eye sex," Sinead tittered, causing Amy's cheeks to redden. She was right. "I mean, despite the blood-splattered history of his kingdom and the fact that courtship between a king and queen is a political nightmare, I must applaud your taste — he is gorgeous!" Sinead declared with a flourish of her hands.
"Are we really that obvious?" Amy sighed, unable to hide a smile of her own as she allowed herself to be teased. It had been a long time since she had felt like a normal teenager, gossiping with a friend about a boy.
"'Obvious' is an understatement, darling," Sinead giggled, "you can barely keep your eyes or your hands off each other! I mean, he's staring at you right now!"
Amy's head swiveled left and right, before she pinpointed Ian standing several paces behind her, eyes grazing hers as he was engaged in a conversation with Jonah and Broderick Wizard. He offered her a cheeky smile, rolling his eyes before they darted left to indicate his companions. Amy grinned back, before turning to Sinead.
"You may have a point," she laughed, bracing herself to engage in more banter with Sinead until she spotted a petite figure clad in muddy brown running frantically across the grounds, followed by a handful of guards, causing a commotion amongst the guests.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Amy heard the figure cry in a high-pitched, feminine voice as they made a beeline for Ian.
Exchanging a look of confusion with Sinead, she ran towards Ian herself, Sinead hot on her heels. She approached him from the side, placing a hand on his arm as the strange woman approached him.
"Can I help you?" Ian asked uncertainly, sharing a look of bewilderment with Amy before turning back to the woman.
She was likely a few years older than they were and very small, wearing a deep red dress of which the skirts had been torn to shreds, revealing the beige underskirts, which in turn were stained by grass. Her brown cloak and deep brown hair were also caked in dirt, while slight cuts ran along her forehead and chin.
"Pardon my intrusion," she gasped, and Amy frowned in concern, noticing how faint she looked.
"Give her something to drink, please," she instructed a nearby waiter, who handed her not a glass, but a jug, of lemon infused water.
The breathless woman lifted it to her lips, draining its contents with haste before wiping her mouth and nodding a thanks to Amy.
"Well?" Ian demanded, mild annoyance evident in his tone as many of the guests were now blatant in their staring.
"Like I was saying, Your Majesty, I'm sorry for intruding, but I am a maid at the seaside estate, and your mother has burned it to the ground and fled the scene on horseback!" she wheezed, and Amy felt dread creep into her senses as the maid's words sunk in.
The color had drained from Ian's face, and somberness settled in the air.
"Ian, we have to go, now," Amy stated, in crisis-mode, gently gripping his forearm, "she probably headed for the palace, and if we go on horseback we'll get there very quickly".
Ian was silent for a moment, assumably considering his options as a semicircle of strangers and family alike formed around them. Amy noticed her mother and father exchange worried glances, while Dan met her gaze in confusion, stood next to Hamilton Holt and Jonah Wizard, both of whom wore matching looks of concern. Vikram Kabra made his way to his son's side, snapping Ian out of his reverie.
"Yes, we must leave at once, but she's not headed for the palace, she's headed for parliament," Vikram grimaced at Ian, and Amy's chest tightened.
"Your sister," she breathed, noticing how Ian's muscles tensed under her fingers, "let's go, now".
"I'm coming with you," Dan demanded, stepping forward.
"Dan, you don't have to-" Amy began weakly.
"No, I'm coming," he said firmly, catching Ian's eye. Ian inclined his head in thanks, before Amy felt a hand grip her shoulder.
"This is clearly a constitutional crisis," Sinead frowned, "I will also accompany you".
"In that case, I will come too," Jonah Wizard nodded.
"As will I," Hamilton grumbled.
"Are you all sure? You don't have to do this," Ian confirmed, stony-faced as he ran his eyes over the volunteers.
He was met by solemn but sincere nods, and even though they were in the midst of a crisis, Amy felt a warmth spread through her chest. After a violent history of non-cooperation, the kingdoms were finally working together.
"Fresh horses are ready for you in the stables," Hope explained, "if there is anything else we can provide, please let us know".
"Be careful, Dan."
"We love you, Danny."
"Look after your sister."
His parents encouragement seemed to echo across the rippling plains as Dan rode alongside Amy, beads of sweat forming along his temple, his teeth grit in concentration. The clatter of hooves and the impassioned breying of the horses sent a rush of adrenaline through his veins.
They had been riding for what felt like hours, and after he dismounted Dan was sure an aching soreness would continue to sweep his thighs for days. He wasn't much of a horseman.
"How much longer till we get there?" he groaned to Amy, who's black skirts had ridden up to her knees.
"We're not far, now," Ian Kabra interjected, next to Amy on a dark thoroughbred.
A crease formed between Dan's eyebrows while his jaw firmly set, revealing his lack of skill at concealing his distaste for the slippery cretin that seemed to be taken with his sister. Ian Kabra had an annoying voice, was a pompous jerk, and had already made his sister cry once. Still, if Amy really liked him then Dan would stay quiet, at least until the creep gave him reason not to. Amy was a huge dork, but Dan trusted her blindly. If she said Ian Kabra was a decent guy, then Dan would try to see it too, for her sake. And Ian Kabra might've been a pretentious asshole with hair that remained almost suspiciously in place as they rode through the woods, but Dan would have to be blind not to see the way he looked at Amy — not in the gross way that most other guys seemed to look her, but like she was the only person in the room.
Dan shook off his worries, allowing his thoughts to be drowned out by the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. As the horses careened down Gideon's Seat, Dan spotted the gleaming iron gates of the Lucian Kingdom, guarded by a legion of burly knights clad in red and gold.
"So, what's the plan?" Hamilton asked, gracefully halting his horse to watch the others pant and rub aching limbs.
"Right, knowing my mother, there's a strong chance she's left Natalie at the palace," he paused, deep in thought, turning to look at Amy who urged him to continue with a nod. "Father, why don't you go back to the palace? Even if Natalie isn't there, you'll be able to assemble a team to find her, or receive any messages from us and dispatch troops or supplies if we require any."
"Very well," Vikram accepted, "shall I go alone?"
Dan's eyes swept across the vaguely familiar faces of the other monarchs. It was clear that Ian and Amy would be heading to parliament, and having the rulers of the Janus, Tomas, and Ekaterina by their side would strengthen their position.
"I'll go with you," Dan said, "the five of you should stick together, if you're going to crash Lucian parliament".
Annoyance prickled under Dan's skin as Amy shot him a worried look. He knew she meant well, but he was a big boy now, and he could take care of himself. "I'll be fine, Ames," he coaxed, mustering a tense smile. It would do little to quell her worries, but it was the best he could do.
"Good, the four of you are with me, then," Ian nodded, "we're going to pay my mother a little visit".
i know i said this would be the last chapter but we still have like two to three chapters to go, now that I've rethought the ending to the story a bit! it might be getting kind of shit but i will DEFINITELY finish this story, im itching to write another amian au (maybe in a high school/uni setting, we shall see), but now i kind of want to write a hope/vikram thing as well. also i started a thingy to put all my amian drabbles into, so let me know if theres anything you want me to write about! and yes, the kingdoms each have a constitutional monarchy in place, but think more genovia where the monarch is an active head of state (love fictional politics!), not like the uk where parliament is sovereign! thank you so much for reading this far, i love u guys, and please leave me a review (brightens my day i swear)! (ps. im really curious to see if you guys have a fav/least fav chapter of this story, so let me know if you do!)