Amber and the Magic Thread

Chapter 5

After the wedding, Amber had made a promise to herself to not use the thread unless she really needed it. She hid it in one of the drawers in her dresser and hadn't touched it since. A few months had passed, and she was living life normally. She carried out her duties as Queen very well and without much difficulty. She quickly found out that the man she had married, Prince Ezekiel, hadn't the slightest affection for her. He asked for her hand in marriage simply because he thought she would look nice sitting beside him and would help his country to prosper. It was merely a marriage of convenience, not love.

Amber didn't mind too much. After all, she had only married him so she could become queen and he was the first to ask. Well, that she knew of. She really couldn't remember anything that happened in between her time-skips. She was, however, starting to get terribly lonely. Aside from her monthly visits from Sofia, she hadn't seen any of her friends or family since the wedding. After sending letter after letter, she finally received word that Hildegard and Clio had put aside some time to come over for a much needed tea party. That day had finally come.

The three friends sat at a table in the garden, snacking away on cookies and finger sandwiches, while enjoying the kingdom's finest tea blends. They laughed and chatted about all the things that were now occupying their lives. All three of them were now married, and their husbands soon became the topic of their discussion.

"You'll never believe what Zandar did the other day," Hildegard boasted. "To try and impress me, he took me on a lovely picnic in the countryside and then when we got back to the castle, he revealed that he had a whole room dedicated just for my shoes and dresses! He is the best husband."

"Frederick took me to the theater yesterday," Clio remembered wistfully, "and then he convinced the cast to let me come up on stage with them to perform the final number. He's so thoughtful!"

Amber sat there silently, sipping on her tea. She enjoyed listening to what happy marriages her friends had, but she couldn't really join in on the conversation. After all, her husband didn't really love her, and he didn't give her much of a chance to try and love him.

"What about you, Amber?" Clio asked curiously.

"Yes, how are the two of you fairing these days?" Hildegard joined in.

"Oh, you know." Amber answered, nonchalantly. "Same old, same old. He lets me carry out many of my ideas for the kingdom, and he treats me as his equal, so I can't really complain. But if I'm being honest, it has been a little lonely around the castle these days."

"Actually, Frederick and I were saying the same thing," Clio admitted. "We were thinking about having children soon."

"Children would definitely make things livelier. Maybe I should talk to Zandar about that as well," Hildegard agreed.

"Children, hm?" Amber considered the idea. Having more people to care about her could definitely increase her mood. "I guess that is a good solution."

"But the first few years are the hardest," Clio informed them. "I heard from my mother that birth is very hard on the body, and in the early years the children cry a lot and barely get any sleep."

"That's true," Hildegard nodded, "but it would be worth it in the long run, don't you think? Besides if they get really difficult, we have our husbands and the maids to help us too."

Amber frowned. She doubted that her husband would be much help, and she wasn't sure if she would want to trust her maids with her children. "How long do you think it would take until they get to be a decent age?"

Clio shrugged, "Maybe a few years? I'm not really sure."

Maybe I should… Amber began to think when a bell chime interrupted her.

"Is it that time already?" Hildegard questioned. "I must be getting back to Tangu. It was a pleasure as always, ladies."

"I should be going to," Clio agreed, standing from her chair. "It was nice seeing you again Amber. Thank you for the delicious tea."

"Anytime girls," Amber replied.

She walked them to their coaches and waved goodbye. Soon after they were gone, she made her way to her room. There, she opened the dresser drawer and pulled out the long over-looked bauble that hid there.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the thread.