Rosalyn sat in the record room, trying to learn more information about the Lord Chancellor Elias. Adrien had brought up a good point about his age and she wanted to delve more into the matter.
Amongst the records, she found a book which described the royal family, their names, birth and death dates, and appearance. It also did the same for council members. Flipping through the book, she found her grandmother's entry and her mother's. There was space beneath her mother, for any children she had. Of course it was blank, as nobody knew of her existence until a day ago.
But what she found odd was the entries on the Lord Chancellor. The name changed, but the appearance did not. They all described a tall, gangly man with dark hair.
The door to the record room opened, startling Rosalyn. The Lord Chancellor waltzed in and nodded his head to her. "Good afternoon, Queen Rosalyn. It seems as if your husband has stolen the attention of my queen."
Rosalyn closed the book and returned it to its place on the shelf. For the past 200 years, the Lord Chancellor had looked the same. "And what do I owe the pleasure?" She questioned, turning back to him.
Elias smiled, letting a small chuckle escape his throat. He took several careful steps towards Rosalyn, stopping inches away from her. "My dear, as you know, before you came here, I was the heir to the throne. I have worked hard every day of my life to secure such a position and I dont want some little girl taking that away from me."
Rosalyn bit the inside of her cheek. The way he addressed her made her blood boil. "Are you threatening me, Lord Chancellor?"
There was an odd twinkle in his eyes, like he was deeply enjoying their conversation. "Oh no, Rosalyn. Ipromisethat I will not let you have my throne." His lips twisted into a wicked smirk and he played with the ends of her hair.
"In the event I am named Elonia's heir, the day I become Queen will be the day I put your head on a spike and display it in my rose garden." She would not stand for this man's nonsense. It was Queen Camellia's decision on what happened with her throne, who she would leave it to. "And you would be wise to leave my presence before my husband returns."
"Or else what, my dear? Will he turn into a beast and hurt me as he did you?" Elias taunted. For a moment, his eyes shifted to her scarred leg.
Rosalyn no longer wanted to play the Chancellor's games. "I enjoyed chatting with you, Lord Chancellor. But I am feeling rather fatigued. Please excuse me," she said and stepped around the man. As she was leaving the record room, Adrien was returning. She gently took his arm and gave him a concerned look. "I'm glad I saw you, my love. I am not feeling well. Shall we retire to our chambers for a while?"
"Splendid idea, darling." Adrien agreed, not missing the look of concern in Rosalyn's eyes. Maybe he had been gone for too long and she had grown concerned of his true intentions. He would find out soon enough.
Once they entered their guest bedchamber he secured the door closed, he looked to her and asked, "That is not a look I see often in your eyes. Something is troubling you. What is it?"
Rosalyn tugged on the ends of her hair. She was both nervous and furious. She began to tell Adrien about her encounter with the Lord Chancellor. How close he stood to her, how he taunted and threatened her.
"I fear this man may become dangerous before long," she said.
"We have dealt with dangerous men before. Us here in Elonia, we have the advantage. For if anything happens to royal guests it would be noticed, not only by the kingdom of Amouria, but of our ally kingdom, Fleurence. Two verses one is favorable odds in the warfare. He has seniority around here, but ultimately it is up to the Queen how big of a threat this man may become to you and your right to reign."
She appeared confused and it was Adrien's turn to speak about his encounter with the Queen to his wife.
"All we can do for now is keep near each other, our wits, and wait until her decision is made." he concluded and added, "Maybe procure a couple of daggers with the currency I have left, just in case."
Rosalyn nodded. If anything happened to either of them, the Queen of Elonia would have to do something about it, or chance a war at her doorstep. "I have been manipulated far too much in my lifetime. I will not allow Lord Chancellor Elias to do it as well. I don't care how powerful he believes he is. His power ends where the Queen's begins."
She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She walked to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "I did find something odd in the record books though. The position of Lord Chancellor is currently filled by Elias, tall, thin, dark hair. Before him a man named Lei, tall, thin, dark hair..." Rose went on to list three more names, all with the same description. "Isn't it strange that every man named Lord Chancellor over the past two hundred years is the same in appearance?"
"I hadn't noticed that before. I observed that according to birth records Lord Chancellor Elias is less than a decade younger than Queen Camellia. And while the Queen has aged very well, he appeares to be at least two decades younger than she." Adrien shared with Rosalyn.
For every time they strove to learn more about Elonia, it seemed as if several more peculiarities arose. All they could do now was wait for the Queen to decide if she wanted an heir and granddaughter or simply dismiss them as nothing more than royal guests. The fate of a nation rested on the elder woman's shoulders.
"It will be a few hours before supper is ready. Let's rest shall we? We can only do so much until the Queen makes her decision." Adrien making sure the door was secured closed before he laid down on the bed.
Rosalyn nodded. A few moment of rest would do her some good. On top of the odd information she learned, she had also been threatened. Threatened by a man her grandmother trusted, at least enough to have him on her council. If the throne was to be passed to her, she would uphold her own threat. No man like him would be welcome in her court.
She ran her fingers through her hair and laid down next to Adrien, resting her head on his shoulder. Maybe it would be better for everyone if her and Adrien just slipped away back to Amouria during the night.
Adrien's thoughts kept him amused while, he listened to the gentle breaths of his sleeping wife that rested her head on his shoulder. He had remained calm while they spoke about each of their exchanges with the two most important members of Elonia court. Now watching her rest in peace, that beastly need to protect her began to swell within his inner being.
Part of him wanted to be rid of this place and set sail for Amouria immediately. There they would be safe of this threat that Lord Chancellor Elias held while Rose remained a contender for the throne of Elonia. Another part of him knew it was best to stay, to present them as unified royalty that would not be deterred by one peculiar man and the threat he posed to Rosalyn. Stay also at the very least for Rose's sake of closure, until the Queen had made her choice.
In the days that followed it became noticeable that the tension rose whenever Lord Chancellor Elias was in the same room as Adrien and Rosalyn. It took Adrien much willpower to do nothing more than acknowledge his existence. While inside he wanted to let his beastly mannerisms dicate to Lord Chancellor Elias that his threat to Rosalyn was not appreciated with one of his own if he dod anything to her ever. Having not been their himself it sounded as if Rosalyn managed quite well and if Adrien spoke now to the Lord Chancellor it would undermine her authority. So, while their was no further verbal or physical threats made Adrien did as he vowed and was with Rosalyn constantly. Their newly wed status assisted with providing an unquestionable means as to why.
Time was ticking for Queen Camellia of Amouria to decide the fate of her throne and her nation.
Days came and went. Queen Camellia had plenty of private conversations with Rosalyn, a couple with Adrien, and a few involving them both. She noticed an odd tension between Rosalyn and Elias, which, in the back of her mind, she had expected. Elias had been the heir to the throne for years and now he had to compete against a woman who had her own claim to the throne.
During their conversations, Rosalyn discussed her previous life. Her childhood, early adulthood. She spoke about the dances the king held and how he had once been a beast. Her unfortunate first marriage, her father, her love of books. But never did she speak of her mother. Queen Camellia expected as much. Rosalyn lost her mother when she was just a babe and had no memory of the woman. Choosing an heir was no easy task and she had to take every little thing into consideration. She already knew how Elias would run this kingdom, would Rosalyn be a good queen?
When the time had come to make her decision, Queen Camellia decided to do so publicly. Making the announcement with confidence would encourage the people to agree with her decision. So over the next few days, a ball was planned. An invitation was sent out to every person in the land. Royals from other kingdoms, nobles, even commoners, were all invited to the grand gala. Camellia wanted everyone near and far to hear her decision.
There was a knock at the door and a servant entered their chambers. "Good morning, your majesties," the woman greeted. In her arms she held two rather large boxes. "I do apologize if I interrupted anything. Queen Camellia requested these be delivered to you. She also requests they be worn to the gala this evening," she said and set the boxes down on the table. Without saying another word, the young woman scurried out of the room and closed the door once again.
Rosalyn looked at the parcels and bit her lip. She knew about the ball for several days, but her stomach still twisted into knots. Queen Camellia would decide an heir tonight. Though she hadn't said anything, Rose knew that was the reason for tonight. Tearing herself away from the window, she went over to the boxes and opened both of them.
A beautiful, sapphire blue dress was folded neatly in one of them. It was sewn of silk and hundreds of sparkling gems adorned the bodice and skirts, though none of them were the cursed sapphires. Several strands of gems were sewn in the place of sleeves, left to drape over her arms.
The other contained a snow white suit for Adrien. The sleeves were embroidered with blue and silver, to subtly match Rosalyn's gown.
Rosalyn immediately recognized the tradition from the many hours she spent reading about Elonia. When the king and queen hosted an event, whether it be a gala or simply a dinner, the king wore blue to signify power and wealth, while the queen wore white to show purity and innocence. Together they symbolized what Elonia was, a kingdom of wealth and innocence. Though she felt the innocence part was untrue. If one was so innocent, they would not strike a deal with the devil, trading peoples lives for money.
Quickly she became overwhelmed and anxious. She wanted to return home, to Amouria, and forget about all that had happened here. But guilt would gnaw at her for leaving these people to face a curse they didn't even know about.
Adrien opened the box intended for him and beheld the sight of suit that was white as the snow of winter that was had unnaturally long grasp upon the land of Amouria. In a few hours queen's gala would begin. Tonight would seal he and Rosalyn's fate as to who the queen was declaring to gain her throne over the kingdom of Elonia when she passed.
If it weren't for the curse that was placed upon the unsuspecting people of this land, Adrien was certain he and Rosalyn would have departed soon after arriving here. For it was apparent that the Queen had no strong desire to become overly friendly with her granddaughter as Rose desired when meeting her flesh and bloodied grandmother. Now it was the unfortunate fate of the people and the longevity curse that kept Rosalyn hopeful for rights to rule as Elonia's queen. She wanted to put a stop to the curse from so long ago. He was willing to support her in this endeavor. Truth be told had she decided to leave the kingdom to the fate of the Lord Chancellor Elias rule and their shortened life spans he wouldn't have had any objections. This was her blood rite to pursue or not. He would support her endeavors wherever that took them. That did not mean he had any strong sentiment for Elonia or its inhabitants. His wife's well being and his kingdom was his main priority. Rosalyn's caring for these people that she did not yet know was yet another reason he was certain she would make a fine queen, if given the chance.
They readied for the gala. He put on his white suit and assisted her into her sapphire blue dress. "This reminds me of the constellation dress Maddy made for you. No matter what announcement is made tonight, I am looking forward to the dancing I get to partake of with you." Adrien reassured, as he finished tying the final strands of ribbon of her dress. A servant assisted them both with hair, crowns, and cosmetics. When both of them were ready to go and the time appropriate they departed from their guest chambers and to the ballroom.
The room was elegantly decorated with sapphire blue and white decorations. A symbol of wealth and innocence. The colors that adorned flag of Elonia. Several guests had already arrived with more to come. Adrien fell into the royalty roll he was quite used to doing growing up and when greeted introduced himself and Rosalyn as King and Queen DeLavergne of Amouria. They came into contact with many persons. From royals to commoners and were able to ask about the kingdom of Elonia in a way that no books they had read in the record room could portray.
Queen Camillia sat upon her throne presiding over the event. When waltz music began to play Adrien formally bowed to his wife, that small smile peeking out of the corner of his lips. "May I have this dance, Rose?" he whispered so only she would hear. Queen Camillia would be making her announcement in the middle of the event or near its closure. For now they could enjoy the festivities.
The ballroom was beautifully decorated. White marble flooring, blue drapes hanging from the wall, and an enormous window nestled behind the throne which Queen Camellia sat upon. The moon and stars glitters in the sky behind her.
The people in the room were just as extravagant and beautiful. Kings and queens, noblemen and women, all gathered in the ballroom adorning their finest clothing. It was all overwhelming, but Rose knew better than to let it show, especially around so many others with power. Adrien had told her to not apologize for her mistakes because it would show weakness to others. Rosalyn thought of this the same way. The people wanted a brave, confident ruler.
She felt the eyes of many on her, including those of the Lord Chancellor.
Rosalyn smiled and curtsied towards her husband. "Of course," she said. She took his hand and he began leading her in a waltz. "It has been far to long since we have shared a dance," she proclaimed. The last time she recalled them dancing was the night her father came to the castle to rescue her.
The night carried on for several hours before Queen Camellia stood from her throne. She had been watching the scene before her intently, her main focus on her granddaughter. The old woman's heart ached as she thought of Rosalind, her daughter. Rosalyn's existence proved that Rosalind had been happy, but she wished she held that same loving sparkle in her eye looking at her husband as Rosalyn had.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." She spoke loudly so her voice could be heart from every place in the room. The music settled and the chatter in the room silenced. "I am sure you have all heard the rumors of a woman coming to my court. A woman who claims to be my granddaughter." Camellia's eyes settled on Rosalyn for a mere second before traveling around the room once more.
"Tonight, I put those rumors to rest. For many, many years, it has been decided that Lord Chancellor Elias will receive my throne upon my passing." Queen Camellia took a deep breath before continuing her speech. Her next few words decided the fate of many people in this very room.
"...And the Lord Chancellor will still be named the heir to my throne." She paused again, but only for a moment. "But only if my granddaughter, Queen Rosalyn DeLavergne of Amouria, declines the responsibility."
The room around then erupted in whispers.We know nothing of this woman. Princess Rosalind went missing years ago. She's an imposter.Every gaze in the room turned from Queen Camellia to the newly named Princess of Elonia. Rosalyn clutched Adrien's arm to steady herself, and noticed that Elias had disappeared completely from the ballroom.
Adrien didn't know whether he wanted to applaud or curse at the old queen at her announcement. She had claimed Rosalyn as her own royal flesh and blood, which was a relief. But ultimately left the decision of who would rule the kingdom after she passed up to Rosalyn.
It was apparent by the whispers and tension in the room that the Elonian guests were not pleased with the idea of a 'foreigner' ruling their country, even though she had every bloodrite to do so. Meanwhile Lord Chancellor was so irate he stormed out before Rosalyn even had a chance to speak her piece.
Adrien carefully placed a steady hand over hers that clutched his arms so tight as he guided her from the middle of the ballroom and towards the throne to stand beside Queen Camellia.
"You must decide right now, Rose. For when we stop and stand beside the Queen an answer from you will be expected. Do you wish to claim your bloodrite and rule over these people in the near future and pursue a way to break the curse? Or bequeath the rule to Lord Chancellor and leave the people to their shortened lives?" He instructed in a hushed but hurried voice so only she could hear him while he took careful deliberate steps to give her as much time as possible to decide.
Rosalyn did not want to be queen of Elonia, but she did want to save these people. And the only way to do that would be to take her place on the throne and rule over them. She felt her blood rush through her ears and her heart pounding in her chest. The distance between her and Queen Camellia grew shorter and shorter. She did not have time to think, to speak. A decision had to be made now.
Adrien and Rose stopped in front of the Queen. Rose released his arm and took a deep breath. "I accept my claim to the throne. Upon your passing, I will take on the role of Queen of Elonia," Rosalyn said. There was no going back now.
Queen Camellia smiled widely and stood from her throne. A servant rushed out to meet the queen, a cushion balanced in his hand. On the cushion rested a beautiful, delicate tiara. Made of twisted silver and blue gems. Camellia had the sapphires replaced years ago in all royal jewelry, due to the curse that depleted the lives of all who dealt with them. She took the crown from the pillow and gently placed it on top of her granddaughter's head. "I present to you, Princess Rosalyn DeLavergne, Queen of Amouria and future Queen of Elonia."
The ballroom burst into applause, but it felt fake. Rose knew the people would not be happy about her taking this place on the throne. Now she faced the same difficulty Adrien did. She had to get her people to love and respect her.
The reality of ruling over two kingdoms began to sink in to Adrien's mind. It was overwhelming. In the land of Elonia he would only be a King Consort when Queen Camellia passed away and the reign moved onto Rosalyn. In Amouria he was the King. As such tradition dictated that his queen live and rule by his side and she would appoint a Regent to rule over her kingdom in her steed as a steward to uphold values and rule as if she were their herself. But Rosalyn did not have a trusted individual to rule as a Steward in Elonia when that time would come. And Adrien did not have a trusted Steward to rule over Amouria, if he were to reside in Elonia alongside Rosalyn as King Consort. Such a political action would be viewed as taking a step down in status and could potentially portray weakness.
Adrien was grateful for the distraction of the applause and the atmosphere of the ball that allowed his stupor of thoughts and the heaviness that came with that to be masked by the swell of pride he felt for Rosalyn and her decision. Such a choice was not easy. While ruling two kingdoms through marriage did have some advantages, for them it was going to have some issues that needed to find a resolution. All the more reason he was eager to get back to Amouria to discuss with his counsel a solution. She had made her choice for the good of the people and as her husband it was up to him to support her in this endeavor to break the curse on the sapphires and give the people of Elonia back their longevity once she began queen.
With the announcement made and the Princess of Elonia presented Adrien was allowed to approach his wife once the applause was complete and led her out of the ballroom, following the departure of Queen Camillia. Everyone bowed to them in their wake. The look of reluctance in their eyes did not go unnoticed by Adrien. It would be a great challenge for Rosalyn to win the hearts of those close to court. While he had the challenge back home of winning the hearts of those far from his court. Once the queen and princess were out of sight of those in attendance, the guests were ushered to leave in a orderly fashion thus concluding the gala.
By the time they reached their chambers he resisted the urge to begin packing their belongings. Instead he made sure his movements were slow and nurturing as he focused on Rosalyn. "I am so proud of you. More than words can express. Your people will love you. It is those here at Court that will be my concern. I have a coronation gift for you." He told her and retreated to one of the trunks and opened a hidden compartment to withdraw a package.
He presented her with a short knife. The blade was long enough to be formidable against a foe without needing to be extremely close, like what was required when using a dagger. A leather sheath it came with proved she could accommodate it just about any region of her body. Be it around her thigh, waist, ankle, even forearm if she got really creative with a dress that had loose and long enough sleeves. It wasn't as ornate as royalty often preferred, but it did have some embellishment on the handle that stated, 'Soul of Mercy. Mind of Justice. Pure in Heart.'
Rosalyn followed Queen Camellia out of the ballroom, Adrien close behind her. Then the rest of the guests were dismissed and dispersed once they reached the doors of the palace. The queen bid them goodnight and retired to her chambers. They did the same. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of how they would rule two kingdoms. Neither of them trusted someone enough to rule in their place, but Rose would not stand to be separated from her husband. She would have to chose someone and trust that they would do well in her place.
But would she even do well as the queen of Elonia? She hadn't even had a chance to be Amouria's queen. Moments after they had been wed, her and Adrien left for their honeymoon. Rosalyn wore a crown, but she was not a queen.
When they finally returned to their chambers, Adrien had presented her with a small gift. Rosalyn took it and carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a knife just shorter than a dagger. A wave of panic washed over her. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her chest, and the blood rushing through her veins in her ears. Was Elonia truly dangerous enough for the need to carry a weapon? If it was, what had she just drug Adrien into?
Rose looked from the blade to Adrien, her eyes wide. She walked past him towards one of the large windows on the other side of the bedchamber. She set the blade down on the table as she passed. Her hands began to shake as she pushed open the large pane of glass. Clean, warm air flooded the room, but Rosalyn still shivered. "I did not mean to put us in the way of danger, Adrien," the woman muttered, her voice cracking.
Adrien was confused at Rosalyn's discontent of her gift. After she had told him of the threatening conversation with Lord Chancellor Elias, he had said perhaps a dagger or two would be a good idea. Now it seems as if the ramifications of the object were making her panic rather than feel reassurance. He had forgotten that the politics of Court were unfamiliar to her and such a object would be viewed as more of a negative tool, rather than reassurance.
He carefully approached the window she now stood at trying to compose herself and spoke. "You have done nothing of the sort. It is I who should apologize Rose. I did not mean to strike fear into your heart by giving you this tool. It is simply a form of reassurance. I hope you never have to resort to using it, but its better to have it if you need to use it, then if you don't have it and need it. While my mother was alive and for all intents and purposes acted as Amouria's ruling queen while my father ruled from the shadows, the Court of Amouria was a place of political happenings and royal social events. It's hard to convey in words how one can never be too cautious when being apart of such a setting." Adrien had seen a lot in his youth under such exposure. When his mother passed his father was much less inclined to engage in politics in that personal manner. He preferred to do so long distance by means of letters and soldiers when necessary.
Such a caution his own mother took while she resided in her own castle court, and she didn't have any particular enemies. Now here he was with his queen in a her court and they had at least one enemy for certain. Perhaps others whoever also supported Lord Chancellor Elias. It was a necessary accessory in Adrien's mind.
Rosalyn turned to her husband, fear still shadowing her face. "And you? Do you carry one as well?" she asked. If someone wanted to harm her, they certainly wouldn't hesitate to hurt him. She had read about it in many stories, most had been fiction, but some were true as well.
The woman turned back to the window and pulled the ribbon out of her hair. Carefully, she combed the elegant braid out, leaving curled strands to fall around her shoulder. "I will tell Queen Camellia tomorrow that we will return to Amouria. She must understand as we have our own kingdom to care for." Rosalyn bit her bottom lip, trying to collect her thoughts. "I will not allow either of us to be in harms way. Until the queen passes and I ascend to the throne, Lord Chancellor Elias will still pose as a threat."
Upon her fearful question, Adrien removed the white jacket, vest, and high collared tunic that the Queen had provided for him to wear per Elonia tradition. Once his torso was bare, he turned his back to his wife to reveal a knife of similar making as her own. It lay tucked just inside the waist band of his trousers. The hilt tucked against the natural divot of his lower back that made it impossible to notice, especially while wearing layers of clothing. "I was uncertain what to expect of Lord Chancellor Elias if the decision announced proved to be not within his favor."
This only seemed to further worry his wife, as he removed the knife and joined it on the bedside table with her own while she returned her gaze to the open window. He moved his clothing except for breeches that served as suitable sleeping night attire and approached the window beside Rosalyn, gently leaning against her in a form of silent comfort. "That would be a reasonable course of action. Like all other threats, we shall face them together." Adrien reassured Rose, kissing her temple softly before he returned to lay on the bed and leave her with her thoughts and join him to sleep when she was ready.
Rosalyn stayed at the window only a few moments longer. She knew staying up through the night worrying would not help her feel any better. Spending the night in Adrien's warm embrace would comfort her, if nothing else. She slipped out of her lovely blue gown and any other unnecessary clothing, then joined her husband in bed.