Part One: What They've Sown
Family First
"Absolutely not!" Queen Aanya shouted. "I will not let my body be a political tool that will be taken advantage of by some old man who dreams of uniting Katolis and Duren!"
Manu nodded and waited patiently.
"I just came back from the Pentarchy where one old man tried to take advantage of my love for our mothers and turn me to his cause because he claimed that is what they would have done. Now, I have to return home, and have the Lord Magister tell me I should jump right into the open arms of Katolis?"
Manu nodded and waited patiently. Nothing had been thrown yet, which was a positive sign.
"What is it with these, these," the Queen tried to find an appropriate word to get a sense of evil and disgust across. "These men," She decided upon, hissing the word. "They they think they can just tell me what to do and I, the oh so young and sweet Queen of Duren, what a sweet little girl she is, will just roll over like a dog and obey?"
She was shrieking now, and before he knew it, the Queen had picked up a goblet and threw it against a wall. A bad sign.
Manu nodded and waited patiently.
Queen Aanya, face ruddy and chest heaving, looked around the room. Manu wondered if she was going to find something else to throw, hopefully nothing too expensive, but she surprised him by instead sitting back down at the table in her bedroom and putting her head in her hands. After a few moments, she leaned back in her chair and looked at Manu.
Manu nodded and waited patiently.
"What do you think of this?" The Queen asked him.
Manu had thought it over during the trip from the College to the Duren Palace. He thought about it during the long walk up the stairs to the Queen's private quarters, during every side conversation her had along the way, and up until he had been granted access to the Queen's bedroom. He still was at a loss for what he truly felt about the idea.
"On one hand, Aanya," Manu began. "A marriage would secure your claim on the throne, especially with another king, especially with the size and power of the Kingdom of Katolis." Manu paused, stretching his other hand out. "On the other, I don't like where this would put the kingdom. What if the new king of Katolis decides he wants to rule over both kingdoms?"
"Would he be able to?" Queen Aanya asked. The ancient rites of kings and queens was based upon millennia of tradition, and was not necessarily the fairest to women. It was changed only by precedent that was then repeated later on, recognizing the actions legitimacy. The Queen herself was the subject of such an issue, being an adopted child instead of being born of their stepmothers marriage. It weakened her hold on the Satin, and was occasionally whispered about at in the dark corners of Duren Palace.
"I'm not sure," Manu admitted. "But he would certainly have the military force to support his attempt."
"So we would secure my right to the throne," the Queen summarized. "Only to risk losing it later to my husband."
Manu nodded. "However, the potential of a united Katolis and Duren kingdom could far outweigh those risks. For House Amin to be merged with the Katolis dynasty in such a way would be such an incredible event."
"Do you care?"
Manu paused. "I'm sorry?"
Aanya looked at him, her pale yellow eyes curious. "Do you care about the dynasty of House Amin?"
Manu was still confused at the question. "Aanya, I'm afraid-"
Aanya got up from her seat and turned to face the window behind her. Here, in the tall tower that was the royal quarters, one could look down at the open arches of the Satin Hall where, even in her absence, the nobles of the Duren court congregated. The blue embroidered silks draped over the arches twisted gently in the summer breeze. Beyond the Satin Hall, one could still see the farmers in the fields of Duren, hard at work. The fields around the Palace were halfway harvested, now. Workers would be starting to rotate to other, farther fields, ignorant of the politics they would be leaving behind as they moved away from the Satin.
"Our step-uncle is dead, and his two sons died in the famine that our stepmothers sacrificed themselves to end. We are the only two surviving members of House Amin, and we were not even born to it. We were adopted." Aanya turned around, and with the light from the window behind her, her crown gleamed with golden light. Manu had never seen the young Queen appear more regal. "House Amin is important, but only to the nobles who care about their own dynasties and houses. The people out there, Manu," The Queen pointed behind her at the window. "It doesn't matter to them who sits on the Satin, so long as they are fair and protect their people."
Aanya took a few steps forward towards Manu. "We were adopted, Manu," Aanya repeated. "In the eyes of the other Houses, we aren't even really Amin. We're just normal people."
Manu decided now would not be the time to share his secret identity with the Queen. Some other day, maybe.
"So, do you care about House Amin?" Aanya asked again. "Because I'm not so sure that I do."
Manu remembered how, years ago, Aanya had once been a young child who was afraid of the dark and needed him to hold her while she cried herself to sleep at night, mourning the loss of their stepmothers. He wondered where time had taken that young girl.
He also remembered how the Queens had taken him in as one of their own, had loved him, had raised him, and given him every luxury and gift he could ever imagine. Their compassion was overwhelming, as was their sense of duty and justice for their people. Manu was uncertain if they ever let the noble Houses get in the way of doing what the Queens believed was right. When they went to ask the King of Katolis for help, it was against the wishes of the prideful Houses. When they adopted Manu, it was only accepted by the Houses because he was a male, even if they never saw him until he could pass as a human. A male could secure the dynasty, they believed. The naysayers who saw the danger in having two Queens and a lack of "proper" marriage between them conceded with the future of a male ruler on the Satin, who could have a proper wife and family.
Manu knew, deep down, how he felt about House Amin, and it was probably what Aanya wanted to hear. Unfortunately, his duty as her adviser meant he had to tell her what was in the best interest of the Kingdom of Duren, and not to the two of them personally.
"House Amin has ruled Duren for the last two centuries, and it is important for us to maintain that stability." It hurt Manu to say it, and he hoped Aanya would understand that.
Aanya pursed her lips, and her eyes narrowed just so slightly. "Thank you, Magister." The Queen said coldly. "You are dismissed."
Manu met the Queen's eyes, which were emotionless and plain. He bowed, knowing that he had consciously decided to put the needs of Duren before the wishes of his remaining family. As he left, he was not sure how comfortable he was with the choice.