"Care to take a ride through the grounds on horseback King Adrien?" Prince Phil asks of him as the two men finished wandering through the castle and stopped by the doors that lead to the grounds. "Another time, Prince Phil. I should stay within the castle for Rose to find me when she is finished speaking with the king." Phil nodded in understanding. "Still in the honeymoon mindset I see. That be a good thing. I remember my own very well when Dawn and I were wed. Another time then, as it seems your wife seeks out your company." Phil said as Rosalyn and a servant guiding her came into view. Prince Phil bowed respectfully to Rosalyn when she approached and departed. The servant left as well, leaving the two royals of Amouria alone. Well alone as one could be inside a castle full of staff members.
"Shall we take a walk or would you like to depart and go elsewhere?" Adrien offered, figuring she had much on her mind and would want to perhaps seek his company elsewhere.
"We can do which ever you would like, Adrien," Rosalyn said once she had reached her husband. They could explore the palace, venture out to the flower festival again, or return to the chateau. She was unaware still of how long they were going to be away from Amouria.
"Elonia," she said, still a look of confusion upon her face. "My grandmother is queen of Elonia. Have you heard of such a place?" Rose prided herself on her knowledge, yet she knew so little of the world she lived in. Perhaps that was her father keeping her safe.
Adrien nodded and the two proceeded away from the castle and back to the flower festival. It was a very quiet flower festival visit. They didn't have need to say words. A simple glance or hand hold while they finished venturing through the remaining flower directions that they hadn't been through previous.
Adrien stopped at the market and got Chandler a trinket before they retired that evening to the Chateau. That is when she spoke out loud of the topic that weighed heavily on her mind.
"I know of Elonia, but only by name in brief context from my learning of kingdoms in my map studies as a lad. I have never been there in person. One must take a ship and cross the great sea to get there." He thought for a long moment as he removed his boots and sat upon the edge of the bed in their suite.
His mind calculated his remaining honeymoon plans and approximated the notion of Elonia and its where abouts.
"We have seen all that there is to see at the flower festival. Shall we embark on a entirely unplanned adventure across the great sea to meet your last living blood relative? I had planned for us to be away at least a month for our honeymoon. Amouria and the castle staff know how to function without their king present." He reassured laying down so he could stare up at the ceiling.
Though the sight of the flowers was still enchanting, Rosalyn still found her mind set on her mother. She still had so many questions that could not be answered by the living, for only her mother and father would know the answers.
She felt relieved when they made it back to the chateau. She no longer had to be Queen Rosalyn. She could just be Rose. She laid down besides Adrien, resting her head on his chest. "I dont want to ruin your plans for our honeymoon. King Stefan said the people of Elonia only live for 35 years or so. What could possibly make the life expectancy so low?"
"You could never ruin anything, my love. We spoke about going on adventures across the great sea. It seems an excellent opportunity has presented itself to do so sooner, rather than later. Such a question would be worth asking your grandmother, the Queen. She has ruled for a very long time. She may have that answer." Adrien reassured, as he ran his hand gently over her hair in a soothing manner while she lay beside him.
Rosalyn let out a breath and smiled. It was an adventure. One she would eagerly take, especially with Adrien by her side. "I dont mean to rush us out of Fleurence. We could stay for a few more days if you'd like." She looked up at him and gave him a mischievous smile. "We certainly won't have this much privacy elsewhere."
"We certainly will not have this much privacy until we have a chateau of our own built in Amouria. I will inform our hosts of our decision. Until we depart we should appreciate the privacy provided." Adrien agreed, noticing her mischievous smile.
His lips met hers in fiery passion. As the intensity began to build he had a thought come to his mind that he felt best to speak outloud. He withdrew long enough to gaze into her eyes and say, "Your Lineage and Heritage doesn't change how I feel about you...about us. I love you, Rose no matter come what may."
In a way they both were bastard children. Each one the product of one royal parent and one non royal parent. By politics they would be considered illegitimate if anyone found out. But being the sole heirs to their kingdoms such a notion would soon be dismissed as valid. Even a partial royal was desired usually over a non direct bloodline regent. But to rule two kingdoms under one union with no bloodkin to be a trustworthy regent over either kindgom while the couple stayed in one to rule together concerned him. It was something he would need to pursue for knowledge in when they returned to Amouria.
"Of course not. Learning of each others lineage will not change the amount of love we hold for each other. It may change our lives, but never our feeling. I love you too, Adrien, more than anything," Rose said.
When they had learned of his mother in the secret room in the library, her feelings towards him did not waver. It was a shock to both of them, but he was still the man she fell in love with. If the people of Amouria ever found out, they could question his claim to the throne, but who else would they have sit upon it?
If felt as if a heavy weight had been dropped upon her shoulders as she made a realization. If she had no other family, when her grandmother passed, she would rightfully rule Elonia. She would be a queen to two kingdoms, not only one. Would she have to stay in Elonia, away from Adrien? Would she be able to pass the throne to someone else?
Within seven days after arriving to Fleurence, Adrien and Rosalyn DeLavergne found themselves on a ship taking them across the Great Sea to the kingdom of Elonia.
As much traveling as he had done in his childhood with his mother, Adrien had never experienced crossing the Great Sea. It wasn't anything like riding a boat or ferry upon a lake. The waves constantly forced against the ship, making the vessel feel unsteady despite the logic that dictated the ship to be very secure.
Adrien was not looking forward to the full ten day venture it would take before they reached dry land once more. The more he walked on deck the worse he felt, nearly sick to his stomach. It was only below deck that he gained enough relief that he idea of eating or drinking didn't repulse him.
The Captain had his own quarters that resembled a suite on the same level as the deck. There was a smaller adjoined single bed room that he permitted special guests to use. Adrien and Rose had been offered this. But when Adrien attempted to seek relief from the motions of the ship he found only going below deck helped. Which meant visiting the crews bunks, the food storage/meal prep area and the holding cell which was called a Brig.
Currently, Adrien was sitting on a chair next in the food prep area while the ships cook made up a remedy for his ailment.
"Well man you ain't throwing up yer guts out so there is hope for ya yet. May take ya a few days to adjust rather than a few minutes like most folks. Suck on this, it will help." The burly man said and offered him fresh pieces of ginger.
Adrien readily took a piece into his mouth despite the taste of the ginger alone. Ginger was a flavor best served with others to compliment or refresh the palate. He hoped he did not have to survive on this for the next ten days.
The air around them had grown colder the farther they got out to sea. No one was expecting to travel across the Great Sea, so the clothes that had been packed for her and Adrien were more suited for summer. Rosalyn prayed silently that it would not get any colder once they reached Elonia.
She stood at the bow of the ship, watching the waves before them. A thick wool blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, keeping the ocean chill off her skin. Her husband was below deck where he found relief from his sea-sickness. The constant rocking motion did not upset her like it did him. She almost found it soothing.
Her mind wandered aimlessly until the captain joined her side. "Good morning, your majesty," he said as he approached her. He wore a white shirt, brown pants, and a pair of black boots. When they had boarded the ship, he had also worn a long, navy blue coat with silver embellishments.
"Good morning, Captain Navire," Rosalyn greeted in return. She turned to the man and smiled. "My husband is rather nauseous again this morning. I do hope our voyage is quick, for his sake." She did feel bad for Adrien. If ever she had to return to Elonia, she would do so alone so he wouldn't have to travel the sea again.
Captain Navire chuckled and held his hands behind his back. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He reminded her of the pirates in story books she had read, though he did not act the way they did. "You seem to have taken well to the water, Queen Rosalyn. Forgive me asking, but what takes you to Elonia so soon after you've been wed? I have heard many stories of the land, the only good ones being those of the precious gems they mine."
A concerned look flashed across her face. "Royal business takes the both of us to Elonia," she explained vaguely. "Though the king and I are no longer enjoying our time in Fleurence, that doesn't mean we still aren't enjoying our honeymoon. It is just that one of us feels more comfortable on solid ground." She gave the captain a smile and turned away from the rolling water. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Captain Navire. I should be finding my husband."
The captain nodded and Rosalyn left his company. She descended the stairs into the brig in search of Adrien.
Adrien dared to look up when he heard soft footfalls coming down from the stairs that led to below deck. Knowing that the ships crew consisted of men who had much heavier footfalls, he wasn't surprised when he saw his beloved ascending to join him.
Her eyes conveyed the unspoken question of how was he feeling. The ginger was helping now that he had consumed a few pieces and it was starting to settle his stomach. He stood and the nausea that had previously filled his stomach wasn't entirely gone but toleratable. But they were still below deck. The real test would be to see how he did above.
The cook wrapped up more ginger in a handkerchief for King Adrien to keep in his pocket to piece on as needed. Adrien gave Rosalyn a hopeful smile as he grasped her hand and departed to the upper deck. They retired to their quarters to rest until the evening meal was served.
"This is tolerable." He said as he sat up in bed, the nausea barely there in the pit of his stomach. He would be able to eat and walk around so long as he make sure take in a new piece of ginger every few hours. He knew they didn't have a lot for this trip but would manage one way or another.
"Next trip we make across the great sea we will be sure to have ample amount of ginger. You have my apologies, Rose. I did not anticipate such an occurrence. I feel very betrayed by my own body right now. Feeling any form of weakness that is out of my control is not something I am used to. I hope you do not have a body intolerance to ginger?" He asked of her, his voice asked kindly, hoping she did not or this would truly be a miserable voyage.
Rosalyn found her husband taking refuge in the kitchen. Or, what passed for a kitchen. There wasn't much room to spare on the ship. The cook gave him a temporary remedy: ginger. The two returned to their quarters where they spent the rest of their morning and most of the afternoon.
She gave Adrien a warm smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I do not, my love. And if we ever have to make this voyage again, I will be comfortable doing so alone. If I knew it was going to cause you this much unrest, we would have stayed in Fleurence or returned home to Amouria," she said. She felt that his sea-sickness was her fault, since she was the one who wanted to travel to Elonia. "It will be best for us both to just take this journey one day at a time. If we do, we will be there in no time," Rosalyn continued, trying to sound reassuring.
The rest of the 10 day travel sailed by, quite literally. Rose stood on the deck of the ship, watching anxiously as Elonia grew closer and closer. Her anticipation had grown so much, she felt like she could be sick. She bit at her bottom lip and tapped her fingers impatiently on the railing surrounding the ship.
"Your majesty, we will dock in less than two hours," Captain Navire said, stepping up to join her. "I can't imagine what you are feeling right now, but worrying will do you no good."
"I am not worried, Captain," she retorted, keeping her eyes glued to the shores of Elonia. What if her grandmother didn't believe her? What if she thought she was a hoax? What events would take place over the next few days, or even hours? The possibilities were endless. But Rosalyn's thoughts kept going back to the incredibly short lifespan of the people there. Why was their life expectancy so low, and how had her grandmother lived so long?
The ship was sailed into port and Adrien eagerly awaited on deck as the anchor was lowered and the ship was secured to the dock. The walking platform was set up and Adrien escorted Rosalyn off the ship. The urge to do so in haste, yet he found himself restraining to appear at ease as they set foot on solid land once more.
They had been unable to send word via letter in advance to Queen Camellia, informing her of their arrival. Such a commodity wouldn't have arrived to her any sooner then they did. As such no royal coach awaited to take them to the palace. They did not wear their crowns. Only their appearance of fine quality attire signaled outwardly to their status.
Adrien had earned in a game of wit and chance a few low value gems of Elonia's currency, so that Adrien could procure them a carriage ride to the castle of Elonia, where her Majesty Queen Camellia resided. It seemed the crew either didn't make enough to wager a famous Elonia sapphire or wanted to keep it for themselves unknown to others they possessed one.
As they reached the castle and were escorted to gain an audience with the reigning Queen, Adrien found it odd that none of the Court staff or even the castle guard were adored with the highly valued and prestigious sapphires that Elonia was famous for. Perhaps it was only the royalty that wore it? But he was certain he had seen a sapphire exchange between the hands of a few merchants when they passed by the market place on their ride to the palace.
Adrien and Rosalyn approached the castle where Queen Camellia resided. Rose kept her hand in the crook of her husband's arm as a way to steady herself. Her knees were shaky and her stomach churned. Was this how Adrien had felt on their voyage across the sea?
A pair of guards stepped onto the pathway, blocking their entrance into the palace. "The queen is not accepting visitors right now," one of them said.
"My name is Queen Rosalyn of Amouria, and this is King Adrien, my husband. I am here to speak with my grandmother," she explained. It could be heard in her voice that she was nervous. She was not worried about the guards letting them into the castle, she knew they would, but what if the old woman didn't believe her? If King Stefan recognized her as her mothers daughter, than surely her grandmother would as well.
The guards gave Rosalyn a quizzical look, but nodded their heads. The two may not have been royalty, but they seemed to be powerful nonetheless. They opened the doors to the palace and stepped aside. "Thank you, gentlemen," Rose said and stepped into the palace. The couple was instructed to wait in the foyer for several minutes before they were escorted to the throne room.
The palace was void of any precious sapphires the kingdom prided itself in. The guards did not have the gems encrusted in the hilts of their swords, they were not laid in any decor. If one did not already know, it would seem that Elonia gained its wealth through something other than sapphires.
Queen Camellia had not been expecting visitors, much less the King and Queen of Amouria. What was their business here? Why had they traveled across the Great Sea, and why hadn't they sent word? She had just taken her seat upon the throne when they entered. Her face went white, as if she had seen a ghost. "Rosalind?" She asked, standing again. After all these years, her daughter had finally returned?
Rose and Adrien approached the queen. She wore a silver crown, but it was adorned with diamonds instead of sapphires. Rose found it suspicious. "Your majesty, I am Rosalind's daughter, and your granddaughter," she said. "My name is Rosalyn, and this is King Adrien, my husband. I apologize for coming so unannounced, but I'm sure you can understand my excitement to learn I still have a living family member."
The smile that had grown on Queen Camellia's face fell. Living family member? Had Rosalind...? A knot formed in the Queen's throat. This woman looked exactly as her daughter had the last day she saw her. "Well, Rosalyn, Adrien," she spoke, looking between the two of them. "Welcome to my home. You may stay as long as you'd like, as I know the voyage across the Great Sea is not an easy one, and I wish for the two of you to be as comfortable for as long as possible. Rosalyn, I would like to speak with to privately soon, but I am afraid I have some business to attend to first. Please, take a tour of the palace and make yourselves comfortable."
As soon as she had come, Queen Camellia left.
Adrien would have halted Rose from stating anything more then their names and her relation to the Queen if he had the chance. He could tell on the walk into the castle that she was nervous. Rightly so. He suspected her nerves got the better of her as she relayed another sentence that revealed to the elderly queen that the daughter she believed to be missing but with hope that she was still alive and well in her heart was dead. The possibility of them being hung for the heart attack of the queen of Elonia was not outside possibilities.
Adrien bowed, "Thank you, your majesty. Your hospitality is deeply appreciated." He stated as the queen departed. Since he and Rosalyn were still arm in arm he gently led her out of the throne room.
They were taken to the royal guest chambers of the Court and given a suite as immaculate and pristine as the rest of the castle. Not a single sapphire still in sight.
Their belongings had already been delivered and once the escort was dismissed and they were alone Adrien released Rosalyn so he could see her face to face. "You have no need to worry. Queen Camellia did not reject you. She simply needs some alone time to mourn the daughter she had been hopeful in her heart to be alive and well all these years. Just like I needed to get away when I found out about my mother. She will send word to speak with you in private when she is ready." He stated hoping to put Rosalyn's nerves at ease.
He took a seat on the edge of the bed and removed his footwear. "Have you noticed their is not a single sapphire anywhere in this castle. Yet, I was certain I saw a merchant exchange one with a lower status citizen when we passed by the market on the carriage ride over. That is a very curious thing worth asking the Queen about when the opportunity arises." He stated, with a deep sigh reveling in the relief from his sea sickness plight.
Rosalyn sat next to Adrien and nodded. "I have plenty of questions for the queen, but I am sure she has just as many, if not more, for me," she explained. She could not imagine the grief she had just caused the old woman. For all these years, the queen had believed her daughter to be alive, and she had died not long after Rosalyn's birth.
How much time was there between her mother running away and her death? There were so many questions that would go unanswered, for the only one who would know was her mother. "Perhaps it was in poor taste to come to Elonia," she said quietly and cast her gaze to the floor at her feet. "Queen Camellia had hope before we came. Hope her daughter was still alive. I took that hope away and have probably become nothing more than a burden in her eyes."
Adrien grasped his wife's hand and spoke, "Absolutely not. Coming was the right choice. We are not parents yet...So, I cannot truly know what it must have felt like for Queen Camellia to send her only daughter away to live in Fleurence a year before her 18th birth date. Then to receive word she went 'missing' six months before she was due to wed Prince Stephan. But I do know if you were to go missing and I never found you or heard of your whereabouts, I would always want to stay alive retain hope that you are happy, alive, and well. I'd hope you would return. For I wouldn't want to pass into the next life without closure." He kissed her temple softly,
"Your existence proves she was happy with the time she had in this life. Your arrival and the knowledge of your mother will relieve the Queen of an emotional burden she has been carrying for a very long time. You are a blessing Rosalyn, to all who have the opportunity to be apart of your life." He concluded, giving her a gentle side hug of sweet comfort.
"We are not parentsyet."Though Rosalyn listened to every word Adrien spoke, those stood out to her the most. Her former marriage to Gustave was painful and cruel, but she had never conceived a child. He had scorned her for not bearing him a child, and blamed her for it. What if it truly was her fault? What if her and Adrien never became parents? If years down the road, Rose hadn't become pregnant, would he still love her like he did now?
She quickly pushed the thought from her mind. Adrien would always love her, no matter what happened to the both of them. "I know how painful it was to lose my father, and you your mother. I can not imagine the pain I have just caused this poor woman. I do not know how her and my mother's relationship had been, especially since she was sent off to marry a prince she did not love. If I am anything like my mother, I would have not been happy." Rosalyn had been given the life of luxury when she was taken as a 'guest' into the king's castle, but the circumstances made her angry and dejected. She remembered the rage, sorrow, and fear that filled her from her head to her toes, for days on end.
Unlike her mother, she had found love out of her circumstances. Her mother was willing to give up a life of riches to find love, while Rosalyn was pulled into both.
"You were raised by a very talented and progressive father in commonwealth status, who cultured your strengths of intelligence and indomitable spirit. Traits that are viewed as odd to that level of society. Do not presume your Rosalind's relationship with Camellia was strained because of an arranged marriage. Rosalind my have held no ire towards her mother for sending her to Fleurence. Being away from her homeland and facing the reality of what was to come could have simply made Rosalind brave enough to dismiss her political obligation and follow her hearts desire." He further explained, when he saw the look of doubt in her eyes.
"Children raised in a royal family are obligated to marry for political reasons. They don't often blame their parents for arranged marriages, because it's tradition and that is all we know. We expect fondness of an arranged companion and can hope it turns to love as they rule together and bear children. It wasn't until I was turned into a beast that I had to consider cultivating a relationship out of love, rather than political gain. Among royal raised children, we grow up with the belief that commoners marry for love, because they don't have to worry about marrying for politics. Hence the dances I held..." His eyes shifted slightly, as he still felt a twinge of guilt, even though he had made amends. "...I only invited all available commoners within reasonable transportation range. I never invited any royal available suitors. Had I invited royalty, they would have readily accepted being chosen and perhaps accepted my beastly appearance with a compromise of marriage for gain. They would have gained the ability to rule as a public figure, while I would have to stay in the shadows as a beast, because mutual love wasn't there."
He stood up and repositioned himself so he stood before Rosalyn then bent down so they were face to face. "Rosalind wanted love. There is no shame in desiring that. Acting on that desire could have brought shame to her family, but Prince Stephan ensured that did not occur. I have no doubt Queen Camellia will mourn her daughter's passing but you have given her closure and proof Rosalind was happy with the time she had. Both of which are far better than hope and unknowing." He placed a chaste kiss on Rosalyn's forehead and stood up walking across the room so he could ring a bell that summoned a servant.
"Tell the ewerer to fetch hot water for the royal guest suite bath." Adrien remarked to the servant and the servant woman nodded rushing to full the order as the bath was in a nearby chamber attached to their suite, but not visible unless one walked through the archway behind a folding screen.
Rosalyn took a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh. She was looking too far into things, picking out the worst in everything. She just felt so overwhelmed, which is probably how Adrien felt when he found out about his mother. She couldn't make any more assumptions before speaking with Queen Camellia, no matter how long she had to wait to do so. When the time came, she would ask her questions, but until then, she would just keep track of them on a mental list.
"I thought you would have had enough of water by now," Rose said quietly. It was clear she was teasing and just trying to lighten the mood somehow. She stood from her spot on the edge of the bed and walked to Adrien, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you," she said. "But are you sure you want to tolerate me for the rest of your life?"
"The warm bath is not for me." He stated with a coy smile in response to her lighthearted statement. She seemed to appreciate the answer because ge watched as he wife walked across the room and placed a kiss upon his lips.
When she spoke about simply tolerating her for the rest of his life, he released a chuckle. "I am certain I do more than tolerate you." He assured and carefully turned about so he was facing her back so he could begin to until her gown.
"I love you..." he spoke quietly, as his fingers worked at the fine threaded binding and he placed a kiss between the crook of her neck and now exposed shoulder.
"I admire you..." he continued removing the binding making his way to her other shoulder, repeating the display of affection.
The binding was loose enough now that with a bit of assistance the outer gown was removed, leaving her in her petticoat and corset clothing. While these articles of shape forming clothing, still kept her modest from revealing her bloomers and brassiere, it wouldn't be ideal to wear in general public.
He transferred to he front once more and spoke the words, "I respect you..." then placed a kiss on her lips his hands respectfully at her waist and wandering no further unless prompted.
A knock at the door signaled to him that the bath was ready and he pulled away from their kiss to vocalize a dismissal of the ewerer.
He turned to Rose, taking one of her hands into his, "Come, let us get you into a relaxing warm bath. Mrs. Pom says its the next best remedy to calm the mind, besides drinking a cup of tea." He lead her passed the folding screen and into the bathing room.
His words made her heart flutter and his touch sent shivers down her spine. Warmth burned underneath her skin where his lips as touched her shoulders. She yearned for his touch as soon as he pulled away.
"There are other things that would calm my mind, or at least distract me," Rosalyn said and bit her bottom lip.