Chapter 19
The next morning Draco gathered the court for an announcement. Hermione knew what he was going to say and nerves were causing her to feel sick to her stomach. It was either that or an unborn child sitting pretty in her uterus. Either way, she felt like a bag of potatoes. She had dressed in a red dress. The skirt was satin and was tightly tied around her waist. The bodice was red lace and wrapped around her arms and neck. Her hair hung loose with a few braids and atop her head stood a golden crown. Draco was waiting for her outside her door. He wore a red velvet costume with gold accents. They matched perfectly. He smiled broadly and offered his arm. Hermione weaved hers trough it as if it was second nature.
"Nervous?" he asked as they walked to the grand courtroom.
"Yeah" she whispered.
"Well, it's going to be fine. Everybody is going to be so happy, this ensures our reign, you know." Hermione knew he was right. But she felt uneasy none the less. Like there was an axe hanging over her head that could drop at any moment. They stood in front of the huge doors to the courtroom and waited until they were announced.
"Here we go" he whispered in her ear. They walked in together and the entire courtroom sank down in a unison bow. Hermione wanted to bow with them but Draco held her up. They walked to the front where the king and queen were waiting for them. Draco took his spot and Hermione stayed by his side. He started talking and she just watched him. He looked like he was born to do this, he looked perfect.
"My subjects, I have magnificent news for you this morning." He started. "Yesterday, I learned that my wife, your future queen and queen of Argon, is with child." He announced. The entire room broke into applause and cheering. Hermione couldn't help but smile. As the room grew quiet again, Draco started talking. "I have another announcement, to ensure that my child will rule this country in the event of my death, I have decided to give my wife the crown matrimony." The crowd started murmuring. The king stood up and ran over to his son.
"You can't just do this, Draco!" he hissed.
"I can and I have." Draco held up a document. "All it needs is her signature." He handed Hermione the document. The king signaled the guards that they had to clear out the crowd. As soon as the room was empty, the king grabbed Draco by the collar of his vest.
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.
"I will not have you abandon Hermione if something happens to me." Draco sounded determined and very sure of himself. He didn't seem fazed at all by the king's outburst.
"Did you know about this?" he turned towards Hermione. She shook her head.
"Not at all, I don't even know what it means" she admitted.
"It means that you will inherit this country if Draco dies. It would unite both your countries" the queen explained. Hermione looked at Draco.
"Why would you do this?"she asked.
"Just sign it, please" he pleaded. Hermione placed the document on a nearby table and signed her name next to Draco's at the bottom of the page.
"I want to do the same for you" she whispered.
"What?" three heads turned towards her like chickens towards food.
"I want you to be in control of my country if I were to die." She continued.
"Are you sure? You are already a queen, it could put a target on your head." Draco whispered. The king let go of his son.
"Queen Hermione, that would be a great idea" the king walked towards her.
"I'm not doing it for you" she hissed. "I wouldn't trust you with one square centimeter of my country. I'm doing it for Draco and for my son." She continued. Draco stood still, unable to do anything else. Hermione turned to the king.
"I need my advisors." She ordered. The king rushed out of the room to fetch her advisors. Draco took the opportunity to walk towards his wife and grab her hands.
"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" he whispered.
"Yes" she smiled at him and pressed a kiss on his lips. "It's not about us anymore, there is someone else we need to think about. I want my baby to grow up safe, even if it's without me." She continued. Draco nodded. A few minutes later the advisor arrived, started opposing Hermione's proposal and eventually concede when he realized she was more stubborn than a donkey. The two documents were displayed on the table, the autographs still drying. Hermione and Draco stood before the table, their hands intertwined. The rest of the room just looked at them, nobody dared speak, for the tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
"We did this" she whispered.
"We sure did." He answered.
"People are going to be so mad." She uttered.
"They were already mad, so it won't matter." Draco wrapped his arms around his wife.
"I have a bad feeling." Hermione whispered.
"You always have a bad feeling" he pressed his lips to hers.
Hermione no longer felt at home at the castle. It was as if a dark cloud settled on the entire kingdom, suffocating everyone in its path. The king took a turn for the worse. He was bed ridden and no longer appeared in the throne room or the council. Draco had taken over almost everything, which took him away from Hermione most days. She spent most her days in the library or with Rogue, even though she wasn't allowed to ride him anymore on the event that there was a tiny human feeding off her body. But that couldn't keep her away from the wonderful smell of the stables. She had wrapped herself in a warm burgundy coat, the temperature had been dropping and snow was starting to stick to the ground.
"Hey there buddy" she whispered as Rogue pressed his nose against her neck. She took him out of his stable and tied him to a pole in the courtyard. The horse whinnied softly.
"I know, I want to go out too, but we can't " she padded him on the neck and grabbed her tools. Carefully drawing circles and getting rid of all the dirt in his coat.
"Still insisting on taking care of him yourself, I see" Hermione turned to look at the origin of the sound. James was standing there in his riding gear.
"Yup" she shortly replied. He walked over to her and padded Rogue on the back. The horse responded by nervously scraping its hoof on the cobblestoned.
"He seems agitated" he noticed.
"Not before you showed up" Hermione responded.
"He probably just wants to go riding" James continued as if she hadn't said anything.
"I could ride him for you."
"What?" Hermione stopped brushing Rogue to look at James.
"I could take him for a ride, seeing as how you can't" he rephrased.
"That's not necessary, I've got the stableboys handling that." She replied.
"You should probably have them handle his care as well." Hermione looked at the boy standing in front of her. He took the liberty of pressing his hand against her stomach.
"One small kick from this boy could damage that precious cargo you're carrying." He smirked. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Hermione slapped his hand away and turned her attention to Rogue.
"We're fine, I don't need your help. Now, you should just get going and take care of your own business." She heard him leave. Rogue shook his head.
"I know, I don't like him either" she whispered to the horse. Suddenly, two arms snaked around her waist. Hermione reacted out of instinct and jammed her elbow in the ribs of the person standing behind her. He let go and she heard coughing, turning around.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry" she shrieked. In front of her was none other than Draco.
"What the hell, Hermione" he managed to cough out.
"I'm sorry" she shrieked again. He regained his composure. "I thought you were James" she explained.
"Well, I've learned my lesson, I'll announce myself the next time" he still sounded a little hoarse. Hermione threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss on his lips.
"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.
"What? I can't come and see my wife?" he corked his eyebrow. She smiled at him.
"Sure you can."
"Hold on a minute, why did you think I was James?" he asked.
"Oh, he just was here a second ago, bugging me about Rogue and telling me I shouldn't be near horses because of the baby" she explained. Draco nodded.
"Well, I can't say that I'm disappointed in the way you reacted then" he smirked.
"I can take care of myself, you know" she raised her nose.
"I know you can but I had something made for you anyway" he pressed a box in her hands. The box was beautiful. It was made of a dark wood which was almost black. Around it were silver leaves and on top of the box sat a snake, curled up in a ball.
"You made me a box?" she asked.
"Brightest witch of her age, I think not" he sighed. He opened the box and inside it, laying on the emerald velvet was a bracelet. The bracelet was a snake that curled around. It's eyes were emeralds and the body was silver.
"It's beautiful" Hermione whispered. Draco took the bracelet out of the box and grabbed Hermione's hand. He placed it on her wrist and it fit her perfectly. Just snug enough so that it wouldn't fall off but not too snug that it would make her hand fall off.
"Promise me you'll wear it always" he held her hand in his.
"I will" she answered.
"No, Hermione, look" Hermione looked back at his hands. He grabbed the head of the snake and yanked it from the bracelet. On the end of the head stuck a blade.
"It's a weapon?" she asked.
"Yes, no one knows about this, so it will be our secret. Keep it with you always." He put the blade back in its place and squeezed her hand.
"Promise me" he insisted. Hermione looked at her husband. His eyes were stormy and bore right into her soul.
"I promise" she whispered. Draco smiled a little and pressed another kiss on her lips.