A/N: Time for Gary?

Sure why not? This is for the purpose of talking about the hardships of Troy and set a scene. Really not that...vital I guess but it will come into play later I suppose.

Enjoy, my children.

(And sorry for the wait!)

I open my eyes to the warm greeting of the dawn and sigh softly. Yet another day to begin. I sit up, careful not to awaken the man sleeping next to me. I hear him talking softly in his sleep and I can't help but smile. He rarely has his outbursts as he sleeps, it's nice to hear him talking calmly. His condition has never bothered me before, but there are some times when I wish that we could just have a calm conversation. But I love the man, so I guess that I'm not going to be too down about it.

I stroke his dirty blonde hair for a moment before I climb out of our bed. I stretch and yawn sleepily as I walk over to our wardrobe. I yank it open and pull out my favorite pale yellow chiton and strip off my robe. I walk over to our water basin and grab my rag, washing over my arms and legs. A warm breeze blows in through the window and I sigh. The salty air is one I've grown accustomed to. A bit stale for my tastes, but who am I to judge, hm?

I finish cleansing myself and proceed to slide on my tunic, running my fingers through my blonde locks and sighing to myself. I quietly trod out of the room, shutting the door behind me gently so as not to disturb Thomas as he sleeps.

I turn and walk down the hall of the palace, my hands behind my back in what I was told to be a stately manner. "Good morning, your highness," one of the servants bows to me.

"Good morning," I smile back as I pass him. I walk down towards the main hall and I can't help but sigh again. I know I do it far too often, but really, it's the only thing I can do to express my displeasure. I'm Thomas' queen after all, I hold a certain degree of dignity over my royal head.

I watch as servants bustle around me in a hurry, going about their chores per usual. I can't help but wonder why we have so many. We rarely have visitors or anything of the sort and there's only four of us royals, so it's not like we make too much of a mess. But then again, if we don't keep them working here, they'll go to a different land to work for them and who knows just how torturous it could be?

The chances could also put them in the hands of rich and kind kings but I for one am not about to take that chance for their sake. I know how wonderful it is to be kept busy but not tormented by an owner, and I hope to the gods that they don't consider us slave drivers. That's the last thing I want to go down in history as.

I head out of the large archways through the door to the garden, looking around at the sparse plants along the trail leading down into the courtyard. I shake my head slowly, a bit disappointed to know that we live yet another day in this bland estate. Our palace is beautiful to be sure, but no one outside of that horrid wall would ever know. But I do know. And I wish that the entire grounds could match the beautiful splendor of the stone building.

But I suppose that just isn't possible. We have a few more important things to focus on around here than what kind of flowers line the dirt paths. I watch as a few of the servant's children run through the garden and smile at them. They come to a stop and pay me a bow of respect.

"Good morning, your majesty," the smaller one says quietly.

"Good morning to you as well," I say down to them. "And how are you this day?"

"Really well, Sir," the eldest of the two, a boy with light brown hair says, looking up at me with soft eyes.

"Excellent," I nod.

"Sire, may I ask a question?" the youngest, a girl with a worn ivory chiton requests.

"Of course," I smile.

"Momma says that...that the country's in trouble?"

"Oh? Just how so?"

"All the servants were talking about it in the quarters last night," the boy adds briskly. "They said that we're on our own."

"Now that's not true," I correct. "We have many friends."

"Momma says we're poor," the girl looks down and scuffles her sandals on the dirt. "S-she says that we're really really poor."

My face drops a bit and I clear my throat, kneeling down in front of them. I tip the girl's chin up and give her a smile. "My dears, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything, your majesty!" the boy exclaims. The girl nods feverishly as well, staring at me with wide, blue eyes.

"Now, this is super important and you have to remember just what I tell you, okay?"

"Of course," the girl squeaks.

I chuckle a bit, grabbing both of their hands. "Tonight at the servant's quarters, I need you to deliver a message to the adults..." I pause, looking between the two of them and seeing that I have their undivided attention. Good. "My children, I need you to tell them...that they're right." I say slowly. "We happen to be very poor at the moment."

Their faces drop. "B-but...what's gonna happen to us?" the boy whispers. I brush some of his hair back out of his face maternally and re-grasp his hand, squeezing the both of them.

"I don't know," I say truthfully. "However, I can tell you to tell them this: Prince Kenneth is on his way to Athens as we speak, trying to dig up cheaper trade routes and make a better way of life for us all. He's going to all kinds of nations and we are gaining many a friend. Tell them not to worry about it, to just go about their business per normal because myself and King Thomas along with Prince Stanley and Prince Kenneth are doing everything within our power to make sure that they are kept safe and comfortable. Can you do that for me?"

The girl grabs my hand and holds it tightly. "Mr. King?"

I chuckle, "yes?"

"When they were all talking, they were saying how..how kings are greedy and gold-hungry and want power and money."

"Oh did they?" I raise my brow.

She nods, "But they said they're glad you're different. And that they love you."

"We do, too," the boy chimes in. "We like working for you. And I wanna fight under Prince Stanley one day!" he beams.

I break into a smile, releasing their hands and ruffling their hair playfully. "Well you be sure to tell them that as their rulers and as their friends, we love them as well. And to just rest easy. We'll take care of them. And you two of course."

"Thank you, Sire," they both bow deeply.

"Not at all. Go run along," I nod. They giggle a bit before turning on their heels and sprinting back into the palace. I watch them and keep up my grin before it slowly fades back down.

The servants know. The entire world knows.

We're weak, we're unprepared in case of being called to arms to assist a fellow land. Stanley can only do so much. We have nothing to export; we lack the money for the basics of life. Kenny can only sweet-talk so much before the other land gets too suspicious that we're there to steal from them and offer nothing in return.

The horrid truth is that that's true. We've barely anything to offer but a kindly ear. We take cloth and food for granted sometimes; hiding away behind our great stone wall, knowing nothing more of the outside world that the sound of the ocean crashing against our shores and the stories that our dear Kenneth comes back home and tells.

That and memories. Memories of living in the richest of all the palaces...silver lining the walls and great statues erected in the halls as though the gods themselves had crafted them...

But that's all in the past. This is unfortunately the present. Our land is at risk for the starvation of our people; the risk of losing everything essential to our survival. People are getting sick and weak and tired of empty promises from myself and Thomas.

We're at the front line of a war within our own walls. The only problem is that we're fighting an unseeable enemy; we're fighting ourselves and the poverty we hold in such fearful regard. Thomas, Kenneth, Stanley, and myself can only do so much to hold our people above water.

And as of now, we'll keep doing just that: Treading along the days with carefully analyzed steps until we find our solution.

I sigh again and turn as I hear Thomas calling out for me. The duties of being a queen never cease; I just hope the love of our people is the same.

A/N: =_=

you've been waiting since February for this, oh lawd.

My excuse? Gary bores me.

Yup. Couldn't make myself write it out. I plan on updating this more frequently now though xD Hopefully get the plot going and hit the fun stuff.

Alright, thanks for R&Ring!