Special Thank yous go out to Ethren , SapphireRoseE, & Woolfred for the great reviews. Another thank you goes out to all my readers, I hope future chapters will encourgae you to leave a review for me.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mind was a little sore. I'm recovering from two small injuries. So no type my new story has been put on back burner until next weekend. Besides that. I like the second part of this chapter. I put a lot of effort trying to think how a queen should act and how Esther wou.ld act as queen. Anway tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own TB

Chapter 29

The sheets she was wrapped in were very soft. It felt familiar, like from an old memory. She turned and wrapped herself tightly in her sheets and blankets. Esther opened one eye and noticed she was in her very own bed, in her very own room. She closed her eyes and yawned. She pushed the blankets off of her and stretched. Her neck was a little sore. Esther got to her feet and walked to a nearby mirror, she noticed a slight bruise on her neck. She remembered all that had happen. How she attacked everyone, how she nearly killed Seth and most of all the pain in Abel's eyes.

"Abel." She mumbled before placing her hands on her belly. She'd almost forgotten. She was pregnant. Her mind raced with thoughts, mostly of Abel. She wondered if he knew and if he did would he be happy about it. Esther's thoughts were quickly cut short by her growling stomach. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a housecoat, and went to the kitchen.

The hallway was quiet. Esther assumed it was still early and everyone was still asleep. Esther quickly made her way into the kitchen and over to the fridge.

"Hungry?" She heard a voice. She turned quickly to find Father Leon sitting on the counter eating a bowl of chocolate pudding. She smiled warmly. "Didn't expect you to be up so early."

"Early?" She spoke. "How long have I been out?"

"Half a day. The doctors said that they expected you to be out until tomorrow."

"Well..." She smiled. "My stomach thought otherwise." Leon smiled before eating another spoonful of pudding.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you." She grabbed a spoon from a drawer and walked over to the priest. "Mind sharing?" Leon grinned and handed the bowl over to her. "Where is everyone?"

"Filling out reports and such. Caterina and Abel are in a meeting with the Albion government. Professor and Tres have already headed back to Rome with the prisoners." She nodded. "Oh! Congratulations by the way."

"For what."

"The baby. Abel finally came clean and told us all." Esther turned as red as her hair.

"How did he take it?" Leon shrugged.

"All I know, Red, is I've never seen Father Nightroad so angry at anyone. All he could think of was getting to you. He'll be very happy to hear that you're awake."

"And what of Cain?" Leon chuckled. "What?"

"He's on his way to Rome."

"Huh? He was captured?" The priest nodded.

"Your little friend Ion and Brother Pedro worked together and surprisingly took him out quickly."

"How?"

"You'll have to ask the earl. I'm not sure myself. A lot of stuff happen while we were all down there." Esther looked at the floor. "Mind you, we are not blaming you for any of this." Esther remained silent.

"Why is Lady Caterina meeting with my people?"

"Not really sure. Probably to do with your condition."

"Are you sure?" Leon shrugged.

"Why else would she want Abel to join her?" Esther got to her feet and handed Leon back the bowl. "You okay Red?"

"Yeah, I just need to deal with something." She walked way. Esther headed back to her room and quickly changed in to a slim white sleeveless dress. She quickly brushed all the snarls out of her hair and put it up in a half ponytail. She slipped on a pair of flats and walked towards the conference. The queen feared that she would loose her title, if she did not intervene.

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"All reports show that our queen is perfectly fine." Mary spoke.

"Expect for the fact that she's a vampire!" the governor of Lundinium spoke. Mary growled.

"I will not have any of you speak of Queen Esther in such a matter. She is still your queen." Everyone remained quiet. "She's needs our support more than ever and now you decide to turn your backs on her! She did not ask of this!" Caterina sighed. It was going to a long meeting. Abel who sat beside her, look like he was about to fall asleep, he was slumped in his chair, with his glasses dangling off his nose. "We need to declare steward." Mary spoke.

"I purpose myself." The governor of Lundinium shouted.

"What so you can declare yourself king!" a noble shouted. "You're only here for fair gain. You care not for the queen."

"I'll have you head for that." The man spat back. An uproar was started. Mary stood at the podium, rubbing her growing migraine. Caterina sighed and look over to her old friend.

"Please forgive me for getting you and I into this." Abel glared at her. Apparently he wasn't in the best of moods.

"People please!" Mary yelled. "This is ridicules! We are not acting civilized."

"THAT"S ENOUGH!!" a strong female voice rang through the chamber. The fighting men stopped and faced none other than the very angry Queen herself. Esther raised her head up high and walked to Mary.

"Your majesty." The woman bowed her head. Esther smiled. "It is good to see you well."

"Thank you, but next time, wait for me to attend the meeting about my own kingdom." Mary nodded. "Have a seat. I'll deal with this." Mary left the podium and sat in the front row. Esther looked over all her subjects. She nearly lost her breath when she saw Abel in the back with Caterina. He had a smiled plastered upon his face.

"First off..." She turned her attention to the arguing men. "I am extremely disappointed in you all. Yes, I have been gone for nearly three years, but we are civilized people. If I am unable to run this kingdom, I turn to you all for help and after seeing a governor and a nobleman nitpicking over the crown, I feel that after this is all said and done, I will have to personally relieve a few people of their political power!" Esther looked at the men. Not a single person spoke. Abel let out a chuckle. "That's my Esther." "Now that I am here and ready to start on the problem. I say we end this complaining and work on a solution!"

"My lady." Another noble stood up. "Is it true about you being with child?" Esther lowered her head and sighed. She had been hoping to deal with the certain matter later. After she had talked it out with the father of her child.

"Yes." She finally spoke. "But...that is not the reason I am here. I am here to declare that I will be stepping away from my crown and I, personally will be placing a steward, one that I can trust, to care for this kingdom. I have quite a few things to deal with. Mostly concerning the Rosenkruez Order and my kidnapping. I promise though that I will return, but for the future of Albion, I must step aside."

"And how long do you plan on being gone?" another politician asked.

"As long as it takes." Esther spoke bluntly. "At least a year."

"And who do you plan to be your steward?"

"The only person I can trust to look after everything and not over use their power." Esther looked down in the front row. "The same person who showed me the ropes of running this kingdom and became a close friend to me." Esther smiled. "Colonel Mary Spencer" Mary got to her feet and bowed to her queen.

"I will do as you ask." Esther looked at the people in the room. None dared to abject to the queen's royal decision.

"Any other complaints? How about you governor of Lundinium, I over heard that you had a problem with my appearance?" The man tried whatever he could to sink into the floor. "I know what I must look like and I know most of you are probably frighten by the idea of me running this kingdom, but I am still the same Esther who was crowned five years ago. I will not let any of you down. Once the ordeal with the Contra Mundi is dealt with I will return and discuss the matter with you in full detail. Is that fine with everyone?" No one spoke. "Good, now if you will excuse me. I have a very important person that I..." she looked up at Abel and grinned. "Have to meet in the gardens." Esther looked at her subject, before stepping down from podium. She placed a hand of Mary's shoulder. "You and I will discuss everything tomorrow." The colonel nodded. Esther then picked up paced and walked out of the conference room. Caterina looked over at Abel, but found that he had snuck off, probably to the gardens, where he would most diffidently sweep his beloved off her feet.


I think it's ironic that Esther and Abel were seperated in Chapter 15 and now 15 chapters later they will re-unite. I didn't even plan it. Funny how things just happen that why. Anyway, tell me what you think. More action to come in the upcoming chapters.

Verse from Chapter 30

"I am completely selfish. I want her all to myself. God forgive me."