A/N: I just want you all to know this was my favorite chapter to write, and I hope you love it too!
The King being off to war cemented one fact firmly in Marlene's mind, she never wanted to be the ruler of Phoenixordo. While James was away, the country's day-to-day ruling fell to Lily, and she had assembled a Privy Council of her own, consisting of Lady McGonagall and the Princess Marlene. Together, the three ladies met every day to sort through the tedium that is ruling a country.
"What are we looking forward to today?" Marlene asked as they broke fast in Lily's office. The Royal rooms had been completely reorganized so that Marlene and Lady McGonagall could move in, and Lily had turned one of the sitting rooms into her office so the ladies would have a more formal environment when visitors came to call, and call they did.
"Lord Radulfus has an audience this morning. Then we need to discuss the plans for how to bring the population of Semprapuria back into the kingdom, specifically feeding them. It's customary to burn crops when an army approaches, and so we won't have Semprapuria's stores come winter." Lady McGonagall looked over her notes. "Then we have an ambassador from the Kingdom of Erythera."
Marlene looked at Lady McGonagall confused, "Why is the Lord Radulfus not currently in Semprapuria with our husbands?"
Lady McGonagall sighed, "He was never an honorable knight, and he made some excuse of illness with the promise that he'd join when his health permitted."
"It appears he is well now," Lily smirked. "How big is the reserve James left? Could they part with ten men to escort Lord Radulfus to my husband's aid?"
Lady McGonagall chuckled. "You've been hiding from me You Majesty. I knew you were clever, but if I'd known you were this clever I would have brought you under my tutelage years ago."
"Why thank you, My Lady," Lily beamed.
"Now we need a plan for the ambassador from Erythera." Marlene looked critically up at the map of their kingdom on the wall. "Erythera has never been a very large kingdom, but they've always been the ones to attempt underhandedness for their own gains, our history shows that. Whatever he's here for, it's not anything that will benefit Phoenixordo."
Lily bit her lip as she concentrated, "I'm not sure we can have a plan until we know what he wants."
"Maybe we can," Marlene grinned wickedly. "We just need a few contingencies. We know that you're going to turn down anything he brings forward right?"
Lily looked at Lady McGonagall as she nodded. "Unless you think otherwise, My Lady."
Lady McGonagall shook her head, "I believe it would be best to avoid anything until we know for sure what the final outcome with Semprapuria is."
"Well then," Marlene smiled, "We have our answer."
Lady McGonagall eyed Marlene suspiciously, "What are you suggesting, Your Grace?"
"That there's more than one way to skin a cat, My Lady. When the politicking of Kings does not serve us, we return to the politicking of young women."
"Your Majesty," Lord Radulfus bowed deeply to the Queen who sat in a high backed chair, arms resting daintily on the arm rests. Marlene had adjusted Lily's hair herself and sent for Her Majesty's crown. She had then had Emmeline fetch her tiara. Lady McGonagall was teaching Marlene the art of running a country, but Marlene's mother had spent her life teaching her the art of manipulating a Court. One of Marlene's earliest lessons was to look the part.
"My Lord," Lily inclined her head.
"And Your Graces," he bowed to Marlene and Lady McGonagall, who sat to Lily's right and left respectively, their chairs slightly more modest than the Queen's.
"My Lord," Marlene nodded.
"I am honored to be granted an audience with such beautiful flowers; truly you are the jewels of his Majesty's kingdom." His courtier's smile was evident to Marlene, and apparently Lily as well because the Queen wasted no time.
"I'm sure my dear husband will be overjoyed to hear that you thought to give us your parting words before riding to join the army at Semprapuria." Lily's voice was casual, but there was an unmistakable touch of steel in it.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I'm afraid there has been some confusion." Lord Radulfus' face was priceless, and Marlene practiced a great deal of self-control to not laugh at him.
"Of course there hasn't," Lily dismissed his objection. "You are well, and therefore prepared to bring honor to your King and Country. It so happens that there is a section of the reserves here called to his Majesty's aid and they leave at noon. You'll accompany them, Lord Radulfus." Lily smiled sweetly at him, "We insist."
Lord Radulfus stood dumbfounded at Lily's words. But, as Marlene had noted before, Lily wasted no time. She turned to one of the guards, "Good Sir, please escort Lord Radulfus to his rooms to collect his belongings and prepare for departure. He leaves at noon with the reserve section, no exceptions."
"At once Your Majesty," the guard saluted smartly before roughly grabbing hold of Lord Radulfus' arm and pulling the stunned man from the room.
After the door had closed and Marlene had counted twenty heartbeats to ensure the Lord was well out of earshot, she burst into laughter.
"I do wish I could have been there to see you courting my cousin! I feel even my mother and I could have learned something!"
Lily chuckled, "I promise it wasn't that entertaining."
"Allow me to respectfully disagree, Your Majesty." Lady McGonagall smiled. "Now then, let's get back to work."
"As soon as we remove her Majesty's crown and my tiara. They'd completely ruin this afternoon's show." Marlene smiled as Emmeline was instantly by her side, gently pulling the tiara from her hair and combing it back into place.
Lady McGonagall sighed, "I'm getting too old for this."
The rest of the morning and first part of the afternoon were completely taken up by their preparations for feeding the population of Semprapuria, and before Marlene knew it, the ambassador from Erythera had arrived for his scheduled appointment.
"Now the fun starts," she smiled at Lily as the man was announced.
Where they wanted to appear authoritarian for Lord Radulfus that morning, now Marlene wanted the impression to be nearly the opposite. They were going to charm this man right out of the country.
Lady McGonagall sat in a large soft chair, book in hand. Lily and Marlene sat at the table, a game of chance she'd created for the occasion set between them.
"Your Majesty, the Lord Waryn, ambassador from the kingdom of Erythera."
A short man with mousy brown hair and eyes to match walked into the room and Marlene could tell that he did not find what he had been expecting.
"Lord Waryn, how good of you to join us," Lily smiled from the table. "Come, play a round with us!"
Lord Waryn looked like he'd been dumped in a winter lake. But he gave a valiant effort to recover and bowed to the ladies at the table.
"Your Majesty, I bring the warm regards of our great King Bartholomew of Erythera."
"And how is dear Barty?" Lily gave the man such a vacant expression that Marlene was shocked herself. Her friend was far better at these things than she let on.
"Our, our King is well, Your Majesty," Lord Waryn was making a valiant effort not to crack his courtier's mask, but Marlene and Lily weren't finished with him.
"Come, come," Lily gestured to an empty chair at the table and smiled like a young baroness. "Her Grace, Our heiress, and I were playing a wonderful game and I insist you take a moment's enjoyment with us!"
Lord Waryn bowed to Marlene, who giggled and waved before he sat down. "I would like to discuss some matters of state with you, Your Majesty."
"Yes, yes, my husband has left to bring traitors to justice, but do not fear, the traitors are far from fair Erythera, you have nothing to worry about. Now," Lily picked up the dice, "the game is of chance. You must call your favorite number, then count your attempts to persuade the dice. When your number appears, you pass the dice, whoever persuaded fickle luck the quickest is the winner! It's such fun!"
Marlene could have kissed her Queen!
Lily grabbed the dice, "As our guest, you shall begin, My Lord. Pray, what number favor you most?"
Lord Waryn gawked at the Queen. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I have never had much cause to consider it."
"It is a most important decision to be made, My Lord" Marlene drew his attention. "For there is much each number has to offer us."
"But it is only a game, Your Grace," Lord Waryn scoffed.
"Nay, I do not speak of the game!" Marlene gave him a completely innocent stare. "I speak of the numbers! Take the number of my favor, three. Three is where in true balance is found. And therefore, I am balanced."
"Or the number of my favor," Lily jumped in. "Twelve, for it is sublime in its complexity and is created in so many ways as to be perfect in and of itself. So, therefore, I am perfect also."
Lord Waryn's mask finally cracked and his look of disbelief was heartwarming to Marlene, her mother would have been so proud.
"I, I suppose that I will choose, I will choose, two?" He looked at the women before him questioningly.
Lily smiled and nodded him on to roll the dice.
"Two," Marlene looked thoughtful, "What an interesting choice. A duality, where one can neither be balanced or unbalanced."
Lord Waryn paused as he went to roll the dice, "Perhaps seven?"
"Ah," Marlene smiled, "The blessed seven. Found in both our sacred texts and in the gambler's' heart."
Lord Waryn grimaced. "And what of six, Your Grace?"
Lily gasped, "Surely you jest, My Lord!"
Lord Waryn stared at Like blankly a moment before nodding, "Of course, Your Majesty. I believe I'll return to my original choice of two."
He began rolling the dice. Marlene smiled, the odds of him rolling two were low, not impossible, but he'd be toying with the dice for a good while.
"Two is such a number," Lily smiled. "Full of division and doubling. It exists to take half and give all as it pleases. Always dividing the world into us and them."
"Your Majesty, it was my intent to discuss some matters of state with you." Lord Waryn looked up as he rolled the dice.
"Oh look!" Marlene cried. "You've rolled 10 twice in two different combinations! Aren't numbers simply magical, My Lord?"
"Truly, Your Grace," Lord Waryn looked down a moment too late as Marlene handed him the dice, for he had yet to roll a ten, but he also was paying no attention to his rolls.
"Sadly, two is not so lucky. It is only created by one and one." Lily sighed, "Such loneliness, much akin to the loneliness of my dear heart."
"Oh my dear Queen," Marlene grasped her hand from across the table. "Do not allow your gentle mind wander to such melancholy."
Lord Maryn put on a determined expression, "Her Grace speaks wisely, You Majesty. I would suggest we discuss the current trade agreement between Phoenixordo and Eyrthera."
Lily brought her handkerchief to her mouth as she bit back a sob. "I do so try to keep my head high and my heart assured, but I must confess that my dreams are haunted by the possibility of my husband being lost to the battle and leaving me a widow of only twenty-two years of age."
"Do not dispair, Your Majesty!" Marlene summoned her own tears. "Our husbands will return to us victorious! Even our good friend Lord Waryn knows that!" She turned teary-eyed to Lord Waryn who gave them a sympathetic nod.
"Of course they will return to you," Lord Waryn set the dice on the table.
"Forgive me, friends," Lily hiccupped and wiped the tears from her eyes. "But as you say, they will return. I'm sure whatever trade matters can be discussed when His Majesty is home. My desire for merriment has gone out of me. I think I will retire for the evening. Thank you for the visit Lord Waryn. It was so good of you to stop by."
Lord Waryn stared at Lily as her dismissal processed.
"I'm sure you'd like to have someone to sit with at dinner tonight," Marlene dried her own tears. "Good, Sir," she turned to a member of the Royal Guard, "Would you be so kind as to introduce our Lord Waryn to Lord Lockhart, who has been assigned to the guard of our beautiful home?"
"Of course, Your Grace," Marlene smiled warmly at the Knight as he did his absolute best to maintain his composure. The Royal Guard was certainly getting quite the show as they watched Lily, Marlene, and Lady McGonagall handle the country in her cousin's stead.
"Good day, Lord Waryn," Lily gave him a watery smile. "I do not believe I will feel up to dining in the hall tonight, do travel safely when you leave tomorrow. I'll order a section of the reserve forces to travel with you to your border to ensure your safety."
The guard was lifting Lord Waryn to his feet and guiding him to the door. Lord Waryn looked like the floor had been pulled out from under him.
"I, I," he stammered.
"There's no need for thanks," Marlene gave him a vapid smile. "It is the least we can do for a friend. They'll be ready to leave with you first thing after breakfast. They'll even load up your things while you dine."
Lily nodded, "The soul of hospitality resides in your bosom, Your Grace. Goodbye My Lord," and the guard pulled the man from the room.
"You do realize," Lady McGonagall looked up with an amused expression, "that Lord Waryn was to be here for the next two weeks?"
"Really?" Lily gave her a vacant expression, "What a shame."
Marlene finally couldn't contain her laughter any longer and collapsed on a chair clutching her stomach as she laughed like a mad woman. Lily and Lady McGonagall quickly followed suit.
It was lonely without Sirius certainly, but Marlene had to admit, at least she was still having fun.