I felt humiliated. Utterly humiliated. Powerless had I listened how they had mocked my country, my family and me. How they had "subtly" told me I shouldn't be queen. That it wasn't right.
It was too much. I managed to hold my head high until I was safely back in my room, where I fell down on the sofa and started crying. Out of pure frustration.
James didn't even ask we what was wrong. He just sat down beside me, one hand lightly on my shoulder. I took off my shoes, fighting the tightness, and threw them across the room. Then I buried my face in James' suit.
Why had they made me a laughingstock? Hadn't I tried to be a good guest, a polite visitor?
'You did well, highness.'
'Well?' I squeaked pathetically, looking up at James with my face drenched by the tears still escaping from my eyes.
'Yes.' The kindness he now expressed in his face, was all I needed. I longed for his words to let me know I wasn't a full disgrace. 'You didn't let them anger you. You were politer and more capable than any of them. As I said, highness. You'll be a good queen.'
'Thanks.' I sniffed, pulling a particularly painfully bobby in from my hair. 'I'm happy at least one person thinks that.' I sighed. 'How am I going to face them tomorrow?'
'As you did tonight: with dignity. So you can show them the value of your country.'
It was good advice, though I still didn't sleep well. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see and hear their bellowing laughter, and I even had a short dream in which I shrunk, and drowned in a bowl of gravy. Needless to say I didn't feel like sleeping after that.
I hauled my pillow and blanket with me to the couch, and curled up with my laptop on my lap.
'All right,' I muttered. 'I am going to google the shit out of this.'
With "this", I meant the country I was fated to rule. Of course I had had history lessons and what not, but to be honest, most knowledge had been lost in time. The sheer force of determination kept me awake, because I would not let myself or my kingdom be humiliated this badly ever again.
The Internet brought me back in time, even before the founding of Rome.
During these times there was nothing of a Marerran kingdom, of course, only groupers of people living of the fertile grounds.
Hunters and gatherers changed their ways of living, adapting the habit of living in permanent houses and cities. They lived more or less in harmony with each other, trading goods and foods, creating the beginning of our history. There were some quarrels between different tribes, but generally they tolerated each other.
Then the romans came. They began their conquering journey in Rome, and were unstoppable for a long time. Not for my ancestors, however. Seeing how they knew how to live in the green lands, and also were powerfully people, they did not let themselves be conquered. After a while of trying to add the lands to their empire, the Romans realised this was never going to happen, and instead started working with them. In fact, there still were some traces of these old toga-wearing men. The most important one was the well in the middle of the courtyard of Marerra's palace. This had been built with the help of Romans, and had been preserved since. Many of the bricks used were probably unauthentic, but it was the story behind them that counted.
Around that specific well, that is also mentioned in numerous myths and legends of our culture, the palace was build.
When I had travelled as far as the industrial revolution, James entered. At first I didn't notice him - I was way too focused on my screen to hear the door - and started when he spoke to me.
'Have you even slept at all, highness?' All at the same time he sounded amused, annoyed and worried.
'Who needs sleep when a kingdom requires saving?'
James shook his head as I looked up to him. 'Unless a war broke that I haven't heard of yet and you are arranging the troupes on your computer, I don't see how you're saving your kingdom by sleep depriving yourself.'
'I'm trying to learn something about my own country, so I am prepared when somebody starts insulting it again.' I returned my gaze to the screen.
'That's a very noble mission, highness. But I do think you should eat something.'
'Mhwe…' I made an uninterested noise. 'I don't feel like eating.'
'Yet you will.'
'Sure, sure,' I mumbled, not really listening. James didn't speak again, though he opened the door and spoke softly with (I assumed) the guards outside the door.
Five to ten minutes later, somebody knocked on the door, and James opened it. After I had heard the soft click of the lock again, James sat down beside me.
He cleared his throat to get my attention.
On tray he had put down between us, lay some different kind of rolls and croissants. All with delicious looking fillings - ranging from chocolate spread to strawberries.
'You cheat,' I complained as I took a croissant with dark chocolate spread across it. The outside was crispy and flaky, the inside soft and warm.
'The end justifies the means,' James grinned, looking content with himself.
'Only if you eat too.' I pretended to look at him angrily. 'Or I'll spit it out.'
'You won't, highness.' Nonetheless, he took a simple roll with raisins, and took a bite. I glanced back at my opened laptop.
'You know what doesn't add up, James?'
'What is it, highness?'
With a lazy finger I scrolled down to a long time line.
'How can all of this be so good? Like, of course there are accounts of bloody wars and bad things like slavery,' I now scrolled past a couple pictured showing the events I just mentioned, 'but not nearly as many as with other countries. It seems like it has been a wealthy country for a really long time.' I shut the laptop and turned back to James. A slight smile curled my lips. 'Almost like they made a pact with god-' now I tugged the blanket a bit closer, 'or the devil more likely.'
No answer, no answer at all. I figured it hadn't really been a question, or a statement on which James felt like he should comment. Yet when I looked up, he was looking rather thoughtful.
My eyebrows shot up. 'What?'
James shook his head, as if shooing away a thought or memory. 'Nothing, highness. Your country must have been very lucky.'
'Yeah…' I wrapped my fingers around a glass of freshly made orange juice. 'Very lucky…'
