A big thanks to my betas for helping with this chapter
Interlude 10
The Old Veteran's sidestory
"I hesitate to suggest it. But I think you have been visited by an aspect of Tiber Septim. Surely this is a sign of a great doom laid upon you by the gods."
-Lalatia Varian-
Good food, good music, and beautiful women in skimpy clothes calling him 'master'. Now this was paradise.
"What is your name, my dear fairy? Just like my mother's!" He told one of the girls about the old and kind woman, and soon she wanted to mother him too.
The Charming Fairies Inn was truly a fascinating place.
"I… I know you from somewhere. I couldn't have forgotten a voice like yours!" Another one smiled, happy to believe she was worth being remembered.
It wasn't a brothel. The half-ogre of an owner, Scarron, would have never allowed that, but it was a place where men could relax after a long day of hard work.
"You look just like my first girlfriend!" He spun a fable of tragedy and loss, and soon a third one was eating from the palm of his hand.
That's how nights usually went in the Inn. Patrons would eat, ogle some girls, and forget their problems.
And what problems they were!
Wars, intrigues, crimes, and royal scandals. The kingdom of Tristain was going through some chaotic times, but chaos meant an opportunity for profit for those that knew how to navigate its treacherous currents. It was during times like these that legends were born.
By the corner of his eye, he saw a young woman crossing the main door.
So, here she was, dressed in a black cloak, as if that would allow her to go unnoticed, and with her nails finely manicured and painted. She would be sticking out like a sore thumb if the patron's attention wasn't focused on the less-clothed girls.
Her light-blue eyes darted from left to right, confused by her surroundings as if she was a troll in a library. She recoiled when a man walked too close to her, and ended up being guided by one of the fairies to the bar where Scarron received her with a smile as broad as his shoulders. She managed to ask for a glass of water between mumbles, before retreating to the furthest table, far apart from anyone else, and pushed against a corner.
His objective was here, and he found himself thoroughly unimpressed.
As he followed her every movement, he couldn't stop wondering: why?
Why was she here? Why was she important?
In the complex framework of past and future, action and reaction, she was one of the few constants he could perceive in the sea of endless possibilities. Why was the Other One so obsessed with her? With this foolish girl that lived in a world that didn't care about her? Yet, somehow, she always found herself bathed by the narrative flows of someone else's story.
What was her role in this theater of the absurd? Was she a character worthy of her own dialogue and relevance? Or was she just a plaything of the silent directors of this comedy?
He was going to find out, the way he knew best.
With a grin on his face, he walked to the girl's table, masterfully evading the chairs and people on his way. When he reached her, he made her flinch by slamming a bottle on the table, "What is a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this?" he asked, offering his most triumphant smile,
The girl frowned, eyeing the bottle with distrust. She raised her eyes from the beverage, and who she saw was a short man, barely a finger taller than her, with a wrinkled face and grey hair that had almost abandoned his bald head. He would have looked like any other commoner, if it wasn't for his bright, piercing, blue eyes that shone with unseen power.
"I…" The girl started, unsure of how to reply, "...am a traveler. I… came to hear the city's news."
A traveler, she said, even when her accent was clearly local. A bad start with loose footing.
He took the seat in front of her, "And despite that, you're here, sitting in a corner, instead of talking to the innkeeper!" With the girl's light blush illuminating the table, he uncorked the bottle and served two cups, "Here. This is Jazbay wine, considered a delicacy by many."
She raised the cup to her nose, sniffed it, and then took a sip. The moment the liquid touched her lips, she spat it out. "Founder above! What is this? It's like drinking sand!"
"I know, right? Just what you need after eating greasy meat!" He beamed, taking a sonorous gulp.
"I'll keep drinking water, thank you very much."
"Bah! You Tristanians don't know what's good." That was his starting move, a planned opening that piqued the girl's interest.
"You aren't from around here?"
The man shook his head, "Nah. I'm an old veteran attracted by the Miracle of Tarbes. I wanted to see these lands with my own two eyes."
Rumors of divine intervention had been spreading, and pilgrims had been coming to see the location of the fateful event. His story was not unique.
"I see. And what do you think of Tristain?"
"A disaster, honestly," He saw the girl coil on herself, gripping her dress, "No standing army, no centralized taxation system, and don't get me started on the corruption! If it hadn't been for the Miracle, you'd all be speaking Albionesse right now!" He took a sip of his wine, "But! The new queen is in an interesting position to fix things."
She straightened up, the veteran now the receiver of her undivided attention, "Really? Why would you say that?"
A stab, directly to the heart, "Because people are terrified of her!"
And just like that, she collapsed. "What?! N-no, no… that can't be right. Why would they be scared of... Henrietta?"
"Because of Tarbes, girl! She commanded the power of the heavens to exterminate an army. Now," He threw a fleeting glance over his shoulder at the room, lowering his voice, "Now people whisper. They wonder. Those that insulted her, that question her, even in the safety of their homes… they fear that their Founder knows, and that next he'll come after them for opposing his favored one."
"But… that's insane! Henrietta didn't do that. The miracle… it was not her doing." She deflected, but her arm was weak and her shield flimsy.
"Does that matter?" He chuckled, "People believe it to be true, and because of that they'll honor her and protect her, because they see her as the strongest, and because they don't dare to become her enemy. In my opinion, this is a perfect situation for her."
She looked at him, and then at the saloon full of cheering people, "After Tarbes… commoners look surprisingly animated… for some reason that I don't understand,"
"The queen needs to figure that out if she wants to keep them that way. After that, the next step should be dealing with the nobles of the country. It's them who she should be worried about."
His words touched a sensitive nerve, if the way she slammed her hand in the table was anything to go by. "Nobles have a duty towards their God and their country!" A change of tactics, this time she went for a charge, but one that was slow and ill-thought. Still, this proved that she did have a spine. Maybe she wasn't a lost cause after all.
"And how many of them wilfully ignored that when they sided with Reconquista?" She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, as if that would protect her from his truth, "They are people that believe themselves to be Queen Henrietta's equals, with their own desires and ambitions. That's why they can't be ruled or managed properly until they are humbled."
"What you say is horrible! Don't you believe in basic human decency?" She retreated, and so he gave chase.
"It is how the world works," he shrugged, dismissing her question, "But tell me, you don't have a high opinion of the queen, do you?"
She closed her eyes shut, breathing through her nose, "Henrietta is a weak, sinful, and egotistical queen." This was her attack. Time for his rebuttal.
"The perfect ruler, then."
"What?" She snapped back.
"Well, not the 'weak' part, something that people don't believe for what we just discussed. But sinful? Come on, every great ruler knew how to abandon morality to protect their kingdoms."
"That is a lie. A good queen should never fall to vice!"
Her words stung, coated with the poison of doubt, anger, and crushing sense of imperfection.
"Tell me, who would you say is the greatest of the Tristanian leaders?"
She pressed her fingertips together, exposing her flank to him, "I'd say the Vallières."
"Of course, the most powerful Duchy of the kingdom! Second only to the royal family itself, and ruled by two people that are known for their cruelty." A riposte and a slash.
"What? No! The Duke and Duchess are good and honorable people…"
"During the war with Germania, some fifteen years ago, didn't the troops of the Duke mutiny against him? Remind me what he did with the rebellious leaders."
She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with his request, "That… that's just a rumor. I don't believe…"
"He had them publicly flogged! And then beheaded! All twenty of them! While other generals known for their compassion suffered dozens of problems -like the Montmorency- the Duke turned his soldiers into a very effective force. In fact, I don't think I'm wrong when I say that they were the ones that won that war. And don't get me started on Karin…"
"It was necessary!" The cry attracted the patrons' attention, and the girl covered her eyes with a hand in shame.
"Yes, it was." He lowered his voice, not wanting to attract onlookers, "And there you have it. The Vallières knew to abandon their morals when the need arose. All in the name of protecting their country."
"A queen…" She whimpered, "she should be better than her subjects."
He circled her, like the wolf encircling the wild hog, "It's said that a leader should only ask of her subjects what she's willing to give in turn."
"No one asked them to do that."
"Then, if the queen disagrees with what they did, she should have them punished." He closed in, "A leader must show approval or disapproval. Always, and very clearly, because ambivalence makes them look weak, and worse, make hatred fester. Remember: hatred is the poison of nations."
She massaged the side of her head, "That… is something I can agree with."
Good.
"Now, let's go with your second point, shall we? You said that egotism is bad, and I disagree. Men desire to possess, to acquire, and to protect what's theirs. This is perfectly natural, and worthy of praise."
"To take anything without control or regard for the health of other people? That's horrible! Those are the acts of a monster!" She swung wild, without rhyme or reason.
"You have pretty earrings," Her hands shot to cover her ears, "I could stab you, steal them, and turn them into good money. But if I did that, I'd no longer be able to enjoy our talk. That's the secret of being greedy, you must never lose track of what you might be sacrificing for what you want, and think deeply if the cost is truly worth the price."
She shook like a leaf, "So that's your reasoning? The cold logic of practicality?"
"That's what morals are based on, isn't it?"
"No, it's not! What about compassion? What about generosity?" Those were the last flailings of a drowning woman.
"I already told you what happens with compassionate leaders, they are betrayed and brought low by their soldiers. And generosity? That's only useful when you want to reach the throne, but once there, generosity is very dangerous."
"How can it be dangerous?"
"Because all resources are finite. A leader that is too liberal with the treasures of the country will lead it to bankruptcy, forcing her to raise taxes. How do you think the commoners would react to that?" She didn't reply, "Also, generosity festers greed in the heart of people."
"Didn't you tell me that greed was good?" A final counter. It was a good one, but he was ready for it.
"But not when it's directed against the ruler and her possession. Add an impoverished country to that, and you have a recipe for disaster! Besides, remember that subjects emulate their rulers. If the ruler is careful with her money, her subjects will fall in line."
The girl clutched her head, as if trying to push back a headache, "It shouldn't have to be that way! What about loyalty? What about respect and honor?"
"Those are the first to die when hunger enters the household. That's why the Queen has to be careful with her expenses. Because, do you think people care about who rules or how they do it? They don't. As long as their bellies are full, the Queen could be a half-elf for all they care."
A hidden dagger, and her eyes opened wide. Then they narrowed, the girl making an attempt to compose herself. He waited for her move.
"And… what is your opinion of the queen?"
"Henrietta," He caresses his chin in deep thought, "She has a strong sense of duty and justice, and holds to her morals. But her heart is not into it. She forces herself to show confidence and competence, but that's nothing more than a facade. She's suppressing her emotions, but those are not going anywhere, they are building up inside her. If something doesn't change, this will end up crushing her. I fear for this country when that happens."
Wounded and tired, she put an end to their discussion. "I… see. I thank you for your time, my good sir. You gave me… some things to think about." He allowed her to retreat, as this was not yet the time for the killing blows.
She fixed her cloak and rose from her chair. She walked past the veteran in direction of the door, but before she took another step, his voice stopped her.
"One last thing." She turned to address him. Without looking back at her, the veteran emptied his cup in one gulp, "The Queen has a terrible taste in wine."
Henrietta took a step back, then another. Her walk turned into a run and she dashed out of the inn.
The next night, the veteran had one of the fairies seated on his lap. The scantily clad girl was serving him a glass of whiskey, while whispering sweet words into his ear.
The fairy was good, her compliments sounded genuine, and so a healthy tip would be awaiting her at the end of the night. The moment was sadly interrupted by the sound of someone clearing her throat.
"Would you excuse us?"
The fairy's pout was so genuine! "Oh, don't worry my dear Marlène! Later, we'll talk more." With a courteous bow and a spin, the girl left, probably to sit in the lap of some other client with money.
With the fairy out of the picture, Henrietta de Tristain took the seat in front of him. Unlike the previous night, she wasn't wearing her earrings, but she was still wearing her cloak, and her makeup made it painfully obvious that she was a noble. Anyone who bothered to actually check would notice.
"My fair lady! How nice to see you again."
His smile failed to charm her, "Since when have you known?"
Time for round two, it seemed.
"Who you were? Since you crawled out of your mother's belly!" He laughed, but Henrietta didn't seem to find it funny, "Fine, fine. I'll tell you if you answer me a question," She didn't reply, but her silence was all the consent he needed, "Why did you come here?"
She fell back on her chair, interlocking her fingers as if trying to release tension, "I… I heard it from a friend. She told me that she once met a king in a tavern, who went out at nights so he could know the people."
"And have some fun, I guess."
"There's nothing fun about carrying the crown." She sounded tired and defeated, "You still owe me an answer."
"Of course I do! And to put it bluntly, your disguise sucks! Who taught you to dress like that?"
She pressed a palm against her face, "A… a book did. It was the story of a spy and I tried to imitate it."
"Books and reality are seldom the same thing."
"I know that," She sighed, "It was our favorite book when we were young."
"'Our'? Are you talking about this same friend?" A nod, and a refusal to elaborate further, "Why do I suspect that things between the two of you aren't that good?"
"We had an argument. A bad one. I… I heard she was staying at the Academy of Magic, but left some days ago with one of her classmates. I don't know where she's now."
"She sounds like a precious person."
"Louise…" She paused, looking at the floor as if thinking of what to say, "She always supported me, she always trusted me. I knew I'd always have her by my side."
"Do you think she'll betray you now?"
"No!" She could barely control the level of her voice, "But… the things she'd do… she scares me. She leaves to strange places, does dangerous things, and talk about how much we could be. How much I could be."
"Sounds like she only wants the best for you."
"It's not!"
"How do you know?"
"Because I know it's not! She talks about war. She talks about violence. I… I don't know who she believes me to be, but I'm not that person!"
"It sounds to me that the reason why you're afraid of her, is because you can't control her."
She shivered as her jaw tightened, "Shut up. Just, shut up."
At that moment, one of the fairies came with some chicken that she placed in front of the veteran, "Ah, just in time my dear!" He boasted, digging in, "So, what about a change of topics? How is the city doing?"
"Bad," He rolled his eyes, "There's so much to do. Rebuild the aqueducts, the roads, and there's a troll den to the east! We… the crown lacks the forces to patrol the countryside. They are going to hire some mercenaries…" Her words were interrupted by the sound of shattering chicken bones. "Are you…" The veteran tore a leg out and bit it off as if the chicken was a personal rival that had offended him, "Okay?"
"Blasted mercenaries!" He said with his mouth full, "They are useless and dangerous!" With a sip of wine, he cleared his mouth, "They are bold before friends but cowardly before enemies. They will attack when it's not convenient for you and retreat when it's convenient for them. They are undisciplined, unfaithful, and any mercenary captain that is worth his salt will have his own dangerous ambitions." Another empty glass, "At least you didn't allow foreign forces in."
"Why… would that be a problem?" Henrietta tentatively asked, averting her eyes, while a palm found the man's forehead.
"Es stultior asino."
"What did you say?" That sounded like some version of Romalian, but she didn't need to understand the dialect to know he had just insulted her.
"Using auxiliaries might be even more dangerous than using mercenaries! You never ally with someone stronger than you, that shows weakness!"
"It's Romalia!" She bit her lip and lowered her voice, "It's not like... the queen could have refused their help."
"Of course she could."
"No! They… Pope Vittorio sent one of his priests to investigate the miracle in Tarbes. He brought with him a lance of knights. What should... she have said? No, you can't go there? That'd be suspicious! Now they're offering to hunt down some beasts that have been causing trouble."
"Well…" He chewed and swallowed another piece, "At least there aren't that many. Hopefully they'll die in battle and the problem will fix itself. Doesn't the Queen have loyal soldiers she can command?"
"She doesn't want to get involved in the handling of soldiers." She sighed, "Now, go ahead, tell me why that would be a problem."
"Ha! You're learning." He put his fork down and joined the tips of his fingers together, "Well, what you have to understand, is that soldiers will invariably betray you for someone stronger. But it's not their fault, they were created that way. Just like women!"
He could almost see the vein popping on the side of her head, "I should have you hanged for that comment."
"Now that's the spirit! Someone like me would fall in love with a fiery woman like you!" The Other One had, indeed, done it. The poor fool, "But you know I'm right. Soldiers respect power and violence, qualities that are needed to fight against foreign threats."
"Like Reconquista." She forced the words out of her mouth, unwilling to give him the reasons, "The only troops the queen has under her command are the ones from the royal guard."
"Can't she command the troops of her subjects?"
"What? Of course she can't! Those are under the command of the dukes adn the barons. She can't just walk over them."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Dueling with the girl was getting tedious, "And that worked so well with the Reconquista sympathizers, didn't it?"
She scowled, "That should have never had happened."
"Truer words were never spoken!"
"Reconquista infiltrated us… we were so close to losing," She shook her head, "How can one maintain people's loyalty?"
"Not being effeminate is a good start." If she wasn't that young, the redness of her face would be worrisome, "But, in your case that might be difficult. The only effective way is with ties of self-interest."
"Egotism, you mean."
He forced himself not to sigh in dejection. The girl was obsessed with her little pit of misery.
"It's effective. As long as people are satisfied, there's nothing for you to fear. The love of the common people is fundamental here, stronger than fortresses, I say. Conspirators won't dare to attack you if they can't win anything by taking you down. Remember, conspirators work under the assumption that your subjects will love them if they remove you."
He had just given Henrietta a rope, now it was time to see if she used it to climb out or to hang herself.
"What does that say of her… of me, then, that so many were willing to help Reconquista?" He remained quiet, letting her speak. "I've been praying since Tarbes, day and night when I find the time. I'm so powerless… I can't offer anything else. And despite that, people still despise me." And hanging it was. "How many human lives were thrown away defending the crown? And I praised them! All in the name of patriotism. I'll surely burn in hell for this."
The veteran waited a moment, making sure she'd end her tirade, then when she took a sip of wine, threw his head back, and released a gargle of a mocking laugh. "Oh, heavens. You're hilarious."
"You… how dare you! I open my heart to you, share my pains, and this is how you react?"
"You know? I agree with you. You're certainly a selfish person if you think your pathetic pains are worth any notice."
"I lost the man I loved, and war is looming! I don't think you understand what I went through!"
The man didn't reply, not immediately. He placed his cup on the table and served more wine. He emptied it in one gulp, and then he repeated the process a second time. With a gasp, he cleaned his mouth with a sleeve. "I forced the woman I loved to abort our baby because our love would be politically inconvenient."
All color drained from Henrietta's face, "I… I…"
"Then I sent her to the other corner of the lands so I'd never see her again. So yes, girl. I know what you went through. And, dare I say it: I had it worse. Many did. You're not special at all."
"I… I'm sorry." She said meekly.
"Save it. Unlike you, I never cared for people's pity. I had my objectives, and I'd have sacrificed anything -and anyone- to achieve them."
"That sounds so cruel."
"To sacrifice your love for the good of your nation? It does, doesn't it?"
"No… our situations are not the same."
"Aren't they? How so?"
"Because I never wanted this!"
"Then the solution is easy. Leave! Let others take care of things."
She breathed in and out, "No, no. It has to be me. I-it's my duty!"
He felt his heart pumping, but not in excitement, just in anger. He'd take his time. If one wanted to rebuild a mighty fortress, they had to raze it to the ground first.
"Your duty, you say? Your duty is to ensure Tristain's greatness, isn't it?" Henrietta bit her lower lip, and he saw a trail of blood forming on it, "Then tell me something: why did the queen accept marrying the Germanian emperor?"
Not even the foundation must remain.
Her reply was fast and economical, as if it had been well-rehearsed. "Because we needed that alliance."
"To not be conquered by Reconquista." Another nod, "And instead you let yourselves be conquered by Germania. One way or another, Tristain would have lost its freedom."
"N-no. The emperor promised us-promised me, that Germania would respect our independence."
"The promise of an elected and temporal Emperor, who'll be replaced for another one in a couple of years, according to Germanian law, or will be deposed before that, according to Germanian tradition."
"He'd have Tristanian help!"
He smiled, showing her his teeth, "And there you have the reason why he wanted the marriage: to own the now greatest of the Germanian principalities, and to send the Tristanian youth to die in his name to keep Germania firmly under his thumb. Just like what you're crying over now."
"It was better than the alternative."
"Was it? Why was Germania considered a worthy alternative over Reconquista?"
"Reconquista is a heretical movement."
"Doesn't Germania also follow a different branch of your religion?"
"They… they sinned against the Founder's blood!"
"The founder decreed four kingdoms, where does Germania fit into that?"
"They wanted to destroy monarchy!"
"In Germania, noble titles can be bought."
"I… I…"
Almost done.
"Accept it, girl, those that gave that order were scared! The Albionesse royals saw their own lands and people, the very extensions of their bodies, rising up against them and tearing them to pieces. What could be more terrifying? At that moment, any option looked preferable to that, and scared people tend to make stupid decisions." She had her hands firmly clutched together, "But you… you realized this, didn't you? I can see that in your eyes. Why didn't you tell them this?"
"It… wasn't my place. They wouldn't have listened to me."
Time for the final strike.
"Wouldn't they? Allow me to offer an alternative: you didn't tell them, because you knew this plan would fail. You knew that everything would end in disaster. And once everything was on fire, once the kingdom was falling all around you, you'd look into the eyes of those that imparted this order, and bask in their failure. Bask in their desperation. You value the suffering of those you hate, more than you value your own happiness."
Henrietta's face had gone as pale as bone, and she was staring at him like a deer would a hunter. Her chest was frantically rising up and down as she gasped for air.
She broke down in tears and rushed out.
The next night, Henrietta didn't return, nor did the night after that. On the third night, the veteran was seated at the bar, whispering sweet things to one of the fairies, when he felt a hand closing around his arm. For a moment he thought it was Scarron, the man finally tired of his advances on the girls despite his loaded wallet, but soon realized that the hand was too small and delicate to belong to the muscular innkeeper. "Oh! Good ev…" The hand pulled and, without giving him time to kiss the fairy goodbye, dragged him to the furthest table. "Well, hello to you too!"
He had almost given up on Henrietta, and the girl was barely recognizable now. She had abandoned her cloak, but even without it no one could have realized who she was. Her hair was dirty and disheveled, and she wasn't wearing makeup, exhibiting some prominent rings around her eyes. She looked at him, and then sighed, as if forgetting what she was about to tell him.
"Why do I keep coming here?" She groaned, staring at her crossed hands on the table.
He pressed his lips into a thin line. The girl had mustered the courage to return, so she deserved the courtesy of his attention, "It must be my overwhelming charm!"
She groaned, with the palms against her eyes. "It was going to be simple!" She cried out. Realizing that, she pulled out a wand and cast a spell, without caring if someone would noticed the bubble of silence that now surrounded them. "I was going to marry Wales and we'd be happy! We'd have a family, peace!" Tears rolled down her cheeks, "Why did everything go so wrong?"
"The princess marrying the prince, and living happily forever after, never happens. Life is not a fairytale."
"It should be!"
"Maybe it would, if you stopped complaining and did something about it." Maybe he'd been more aggressive than he actually wanted, but he was tired of playing games.
Henrietta's hands shook, as if she was keeping them from curling into fists, "You heartless bastard."
"No arguments there!"
She breathed in and out, massaging her cheeks, "We used to have an army, you know? Also a fleet. And it was good! Ten years ago, Germania feared us." She joined her hands together, fidgeting with her fingers, "Now we crawl, begging for their help. Where did it go? Why didn't we send help to Albion when Reconquista attacked? Why did we sit on the sidelines and let Albion die? Why did we let Wales die?"
Ok, it seemed she had listened to him after all, "I don't know, why don't you tell me?"
Her face scarred in anguish, "It was all father's doing. He built our army, he trained our troops. He was a brave warrior. But when he died… you were right. Mazarin is loyal to Tristain, but he didn't know how to maintain an army. It was disbanded. And now we're like this. Everything is so confusing."
"In my experience, politics is like that."
"It's not how they taught them to me! Be dutiful, be respectful, and don't be selfish. Now I find out… what Louise told me… what my cousin is telling me… my uncle, the King of Albion, he was not a good person."
"A mighty son of a bitch that one." She stare back with daggers in her eyes, "What? Don't give me that look, everyone knew that!"
"And how would you know?"
"I talked to people, merchants, ship captains. People hated the King. You never wondered why Reconquista started?"
"Because they were selfish and wanted power? What other reason would they have?" Her voice was weak and quiet. Maybe at some point she had actually believed those words, but not any more.
"If you didn't know why so many people joined their ranks, how would you expect to stop the same from happening here?"
"By… I don't know. By pretending that everything was fine? Mazarin used to drag me in weekly parades around the city. 'Show your smile' he told me. 'Commoners want to believe everything is fine', he said. 'They don't need to concern themselves with anything else'."
"Didn't work out that well, did it?"
"It didn't. And when I looked out of my carriage… I saw them, the commoners, and I..." Her fingers curled, her nails digging into the table, "I wanted them to burn. I wanted them to scream and suffer together with me." She scowled in anguish.
"Was it really that bad?"
"He taught me to not be a person! I had to be an object, an institution! I was taught that my body didn't belong to me, and my life had no value of its own. I was just an extension of Tristain and its people's will, and my happiness was irrelevant. I hated them so much. All of them."
"I'm surprised you didn't have him killed."
The mix of a huff and a chuckle escaped her throat, "I don't know if that was because it'd be wrong, or because I'm too much of a coward to do it."
"A coward wouldn't have led an army."
"She would if she wanted to die with it!" She snapped, and then grew quiet, "But Louise saved us. She saved me. She spent a month in Albion, fighting alone against Reconquista! She's so strong. So much better than me."
"She sounds like a good friend."
"And I used her to hide my meeting with Wales and blame her for my mischief!. And I was going to do that again, thinking about sending her to Albion to recover my love letter! I'm such a disaster. Such a terrible friend. After Wales' death I should have locked myself in my room, claimed I was in mourning, and let someone else deal with everything. That worked for mother, didn't it?"
"Children imitate what their parents do. For good and ill."
"I'm just like her, am I not? Drowning in my own misery so I wouldn't have to face my stupid life. I rarely see her nowadays, and when I do, she barely speaks to me. After father's death she locked herself in her room and threw me at Mazarin. We never talked about father again! About what happened." She pressed her teeth together, "Why didn't she let me mourn? Didn't she know I loved him too? She claimed she was heartbroken. Well, I was heartbroken too! And she just used me so she could ignore her work." She collapsed on her chair, tears running freely, "That… sounds really hypocritical when I'm the one saying it, doesn't it? No, let me finish." He wasn't planning on interrupting, "I… I had this fantasy, you know? When mother and the Cardinal sent me to Germania, I wondered what would happen if there was an accident, or maybe a bandit attack, and I died. The idea of them regretting sending me there, of them suffering for it… it felt so good."
He folded and unfolded his arms, allowing Henrietta a moment to catch her breath, "So, what will you do now?"
"I... have been asking myself that question for the last couple days." She massaged her temples, "Your words forced me to face some things… that I didn't want to face. Louise believes in me. And so do Agnes and my cousin Tiffania. I want to do it. I want the throne, but I want it for me."
So that was it.
He smiled, content with his triumph, but still disappointed in what he hadn't found. The girl was nothing more than a side-character, "Good to know you started seeing things my way."
"I did not."
Those three words force him to do a double-take. "I'm sorry?"
"I just told you. I want to rule, but I want to do it my way. Not like the way Mazarin, Mother, or you tell me to do."
Was she… actually doing this?
"I thought I've been very convincing."
"And you were. Extremely so. You fascinated me, yet you still failed to convince me." Her words were polite, but there was viciousness in the tone, "I've lived my entire life surrounded by people that tried to attract me to their ways of thinking through fascination, but now I see it for what it really is. You, all of you, create this scenario, where your wisdom is absolute, and then try to convince me that the scenario is the same as reality."
She was! She was actually going for the third round! Hadn't she had enough? But still, he decided to humor her.
"You're calling me a liar." He stepped in.
"No, no. You're just missing the bigger picture. I recognize the wisdom of your words. I'm not saying you're wrong, but your system of belief is only valid in war and conflict. What about peace?"
An interesting deflection. Now to test her conviction.
First came the introduction, "Our world is created through conflict." Then came the example, "Nature itself is the result of clashing forces, of the destruction brought by fire, water, earth, and air." And finally, the conclusion, "This planet is in a constant state of war with itself."
"As we are. Because, yes, we're at war, it would be foolish of me to think otherwise." But she stood her ground against his assault, "We're at war with Reconquista, and must face the possibility of a war with Germania, or someone else. But, this is why I choose to rule. I strive for peace for my people."
"Only by marching through the remains of your enemies, only with the sacrifice of blood, will you achieve that." A parry, followed by a ripost.
"And what if that's true? Does it matter?" She blocked, and this time he found himself admitting that her shield stood strong, "I want peace for my lands, something like a man like you would never achieve because you're in constant search of enemies. Because, when you search so obsessively for something, you always find a way to obtain it." Her blade was deadly, and he found himself taking a step back.
"Subjects deserve our scrutiny. Would you trust blindly in others? Would your leave you back open for their betrayal?"
"Blindly? Of course not. Trust has to be earned. But, if I don't trust my people, how can I expect them to trust me?"
They danced around each other, measuring their distances. He had the greater reach, so he closed in.
"Because you only need to pretend you do! You only show people what they want to see, and shatter the image when it's convenient! That's how you keep ahead of everyone else!
"Like you're trying to do with me." Too late he realized his mistake. He tried to stop, to pull back, but it was useless. His overconfidence had blinded him, and hadn't realized that the girl had been leading him, "Lies are fragile. If you build a kingdom with them, it would be like building a house with glass. At the first mistake, it'll shatter and break apart."
He attacked, his vile rising at the trap he should have noticed, "Would you rather build it with dreams?"
"Do you know anything stronger?"
"You're delirious! What you try to do… the way you search for, it does not exist!"
She straightened up, gripping the arms of her chair as she looked directly into his eyes, "Then I will make a way." She didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to. The determination with which she spoke those words was as cold as the iron it was made of.
He was forced to fall back, suddenly feeling the weight of his many years hanging from the shoulder.
And that was the end of it. The tension abandoned the combatant's muscles as they returned to their corners. He could have continued fighting, but there was no reason for that, he wasn't as petty as to demand a victory with every encounter. Not like this was her triumph, though, far from it. If so he wished, he could have destroyed her in ways she could have never imagined, but he could concede a draw.
His lips curled upwards, recognizing a clever stratagem, "You planned this. You came here with the express purpose of challenging me again."
Henrietta lowered her eyes, allowing herself to show fatigue, "I… must admit that I was very angry after our last talk." She pressed her index fingers together, as if a child that realized she had done something wrong. "At you and me both. So I spent the last couple of days thinking about how to prove you wrong."
Now he saw her as who she truly was. She had been defanged, beaten into submission, and forced to take the role of a lap bitch. But deep inside her heart, the queen was still a she-wolf.
It was when she was allowed to cut loose and unleash her full might on a situation she truly hated, that she became a force to be recon with.
He couldn't contain his laugh, "Now you're speaking like a true ruler, Queen Henrietta!" While his own initial success had left him complacent, she'd been machinating ways to counter his attacks. It was just like the pirate had done, and after all this time, he still refused to learn, "I was wrong about you."
"You were? In what way?"
"You're far more intelligent than you look."
Her eyebrows knitted together into a frow, "Should I take that as a compliment?"
"You did manage to trick this old dog, so I say you should!" He caressed his chin in deep thought, "Maybe… just maybe, you won't ruin this."
"That's all you have to say? After all this?"
"What?" He barked back in amusement, "Were you truly expecting me to bow down and praise your names to the high heavens? Give me a break. You claim you want nothing less than to change the world, and you expect a pat on the back? No way in hell! What you, Queen, need, is someone to be always ready and willing you kick your ass whenever you get stupid! Or to fuck you silly. Whatever helps."
If he were to place a tomato next to her face, no one would tell the difference, "I… you… how did you manage to survive to old age?"
"Many ask the same thing every day!" He had what he needed, so it was time to move on, "But now, if you're done with our little discussion, I'd like to return to that pretty girl you pulled me away from. Tomorrow I'll be leaving the city with the first rays of the sun, and I want to know if she wants to enjoy my company while it lasts."
"I doubt the innkeeper would like that."
"What he doesn't know, won't harm him! But yes, other lands call my name."
"This is our goodbye, then. I won't say it was a pleasure, but… at least you gave me a lot to think about."
"Glad to be of service!" He raised a finger, "But, you know? You did manage to earn my respect, so I'm going to give you something in return." His hand flicked, and Henrietta saw a shining object flying in her direction. She caught it, "Consider this a token for good luck. It served me, and others, well, but now it's time for it to pass to someone younger that can do something worthy with it."
It was a golden coin, but of no denomination found in Halkeginia.
"Something worthy? Like what?"
"No idea, Queen! I'm old. Old people don't get new ideas, nor change their ways. That's why it's the youngsters' job to realize what we messed up and improve upon our work."
"When you put it like that… it doesn't sound so bad." She raised it to her eyes. On one side there was the figure of a dragon, it's wings folded forming the shape of a diamond, "I thank you for your time, sir… I apologize, I don't seem to remember your name."
"That's because I never gave it to you, Queen." He chuckled, "Call me Wulf."
"I… see. Thank you for your time, Sir Wulf." She turned the coin around, and in the other side there was the bust of a man. A snort of amusement escaped her lips, "Ha! Very funny. It looks just like…" She looked ahead, but no longer could she see Wulf seated in front of her. For more than she would search, there would be no traces left of him, "What… a strange little man." With a shake of her head, she rose up and left that place.
...
A/N: This was surprisingly hard to write and needed several revision, that special mess that is Henrietta wasn't easy to write at all, but I'm very happy with the final result.
Tell me what you think!
And with the last of this stream of Interludes out of the way, we can finally venture into the next Act! Let's see what wacky adventures Louise and Kirche get into.