Chapter 16
Princess Edaline
Edaline kept glancing over at Genevieve every second she was twitching and shifting, she had tried to calm down the poor ladies, but Edaline knew Genevieve well enough to see that she was clearly fritting for her husband. On top of that, Genevieve was white as a ghost.
They couldn't see what was happening, but they could hear the battle from outside. Each time a sword was heard clashing against another, Genevieve seemed to get smaller and smaller.
"King Derek is fighting bravely!" Janessa said matter-of-factly.
"Do you think those men out there have Kathleen?" Lacey asked quietly. She stared at Genevieve.
"Let's try to help each other out as the sisters we are…" said Edaline as she wrapped a hand in Genevieve's.
"Derek is fine," she told her. She wasn't sure if it was right to say something she didn't know was true.
"He would never leave you alone. He knows how much you need him, and he has good allies." Said Edaline.
"What allies?" Genevieve whispered. "We thought Bulovia was our ally, and now they're attacking us. Father was almost killed at his daughter's wedding… There were no enemies at our table. What makes an ally now?" she said.
"Glidonia," Their father Randolph said firmly.
"We must trust in our own kingdom. And we can't lose hope ourselves. We may not all be together, but we are still the Twelve Princesses of Glidonia… It's just now we're expected to have a few more responsibilities…in some cases, to even rule. We can't ever forget that." Said Edaline.
At last, Genevieve smiled, and Edaline felt so much love for her that her heart could burst. She hugged her sister and felt Genevieve's tears wet her shoulder.
"Edaline," Genevieve began, pulling away. "How can I help my husband? How can I help my people? I don't wish to be only a queen in a name. I wish to be a queen the people can rely on, serving her husband and her country." She said.
"And you will be." Edaline kissed her forehead. "I know you will be. Remember when you helped us and supported us three years ago when Rowena was performing treason? I'll never forget that." Just then, the door flew open, and Edaline and Genevieve jumped to their feet.
Janessa and Lacey looked up at a man in armor as he marched toward them, he was still in his helmet, but Edaline felt no fear. She could see the Glidonia crest on the breastplate. Genevieve walked toward him, and he bowed.
"My queen," he said and removed his helmet. He was a sandy-haired lad.
"I am here to report that the Bulovians are now retreating, and our prisons are filling with the men we captured." Genevieve's mouth dropped open, and the ladies in the room perked up. "
And my husband? The King?" Genevieve said.
"His wounds are being dressed, but he should be back with you in the evening," he answered. Edaline knew that Genevieve was silently rejoicing.
"Thank you for telling me," Said Genevieve.
"Your orders, your grace?" The soldier asked.
Fallon waited as she knew Genevieve never really had to give any orders in her life. It was a sign of her reign as Queen of Glidonia. She silently prayed for Genevieve, prayed that she'd have her father's compassion and her mother's wit, she could be a great ruler.
"The prisoners are to receive food and clean water," Genevieve said. "My husband and I will decide what is to be done for their crimes, but for now, we will treat them as ransoms in case Bulovia feels the urge to attack again. For now, though, I want them cared for." She said as the soldier bowed his head and dismissed himself.
Genevieve collapsed into a chair. "You did well," Edaline said.
"You acted like a true queen." Said Fallon.
"Then why do I feel so ill?" Genevieve asked.
"You're probably just exhausted and worried about everything; just stay calm; Genevieve, everything will be alright." Said Edaline.
"Have some water," said Lacey
"Thank you, Lacey." Said Genevieve as the soldier announced Derek's return. Genevieve ran to her husband and was glad that he had returned to her arms.
Edaline left the two love birds together as she directed everyone else back to the castle; she thought Genevieve had been exceptionally lucky. Still, not all the women's husbands had returned from the battle.
Edaline and Fallon volunteered to help plan a funeral for them. She was determined to serve her sister, and she knew that Genevieve and Derek had a lot on their plate. When everything started to settle down, Edaline found Genevieve and Derek.
"Edaline, Fallon, thank you so much for taking care of Genevieve," Derek said, smiling at her. He sported a few bandages and a small gash across his forehead, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. Derek got up and pulled out a chair for Edaline as Genevieve poured Fallon a cup of tea; both Edaline and Fallon thanked them.
"I've been meaning to ask you something," Edaline said to Derek. "We should have lost that battle. I don't know much about war, but I could see that the Bulovians had a lot of men. How did we capture so many of them?" she asked.
"It was thanks to Queen Isabella," Derek answered.
"She was a genius. She had traps installed in the castle's yard for exactly that purpose –capturing enemies. I hear she had even more plans. The men all knew about them, but I didn't. You should have seen it. When we were in battle, the whole ground opened. It was like an earthquake was splitting the ground. Reinforcements flooded out of the crater. Even I had no idea they were there. Then the Bulovians were pushed inside, and the ships were forced to retreat. I'm still in awe over it, to be truthful." He said.
"My mother did that?" Edaline gasped.
"As I said, she was a genius," Derek answered. "And it was thanks to her preparedness and wit that we won the battle. I know lives were lost, but it could have been many more." Said Derek as they all looked amazed but not like Edaline.
Edaline felt a sudden rush of emotions just hearing about her mother. It had been eight years since her mother's tragic passing, but she could still remember how strong she was. More than that, though, her mother learned strategy. Most women didn't study that, but her mother had.
The women who were able to sleep with their husbands the night after the battle had Queen Isabella to thank. Thoughts of Queen Isabella spun through Edaline's mind even after she finished her visit with the King and Queen.