Disclaimer: The Hetalia characters and their personifications belong to Hidekaz Himaruya. 日丸屋 秀和
What Not to do if You are a Knight by Gilbert Beilschmidt:
58.) Do not make enemies with the people who will inevitably gain power and have the authority to y'know... kill you.
The Queen's Rule
"WE. ARE. SO. SCREWED!"
The petite Italian paced angrily from wall to wall.
Antonio followed her with his eyes, a look of confusion and worry spread over his features as he watched the raving royal highness.
"Uhh..." He held up a finger to interject but was abruptly cut off.
"This will never work! And I knew it would never work! Why was I so stupid? No, scratch that- why are you so stupid? This was all your dumb idea! Besides, you're oblivious and distracting. Wait, not distracting- I mean- just... Gah! Fuck this! We're screwed."
"Mi Reina... I can't understand you when you speak so fast in Italian. What are you so upset about? Was it the supper tonight? I thought the chicken was a little overdone actually..."
"First of all, I am not 'your' anything! Second, no! I am not upset about the damn supper!"
"Is it because I asked if Senior Bull could sleep inside?"
"No."
"...Is it because after you told me 'no' I sort of... still brought Senior Bull inside and he may have broken a painting? ...And a wall?"
"NO, ANTONIO!"
"...Is it because of the vodka thing with the goat?"
"NO! Idiota! I am not upset about- Wait, vodka thing with-? Nevermind! I don't have time to worry about your STUPID, trivial antics. Antonio, we. Are. Fucked!"
Antonio regarded the queen more seriously. "Then explain to me what you mean. I am lost."
Lovina sighed exasperatedly.
"No te preocupes, Lovi. Your kingdom will be safe now! And we are the king and queen, after all. Whatever problems arise, we have the power to-"
"That's what I mean, idiota," Lovina silenced him. Her blazing emerald eyes drilled into his for a moment before softening in defeat. "It doesn't matter that we are king and queen. The Council will find some way to kick us out of power. They're set on it. They'll come up with some excuse: the marriage wasn't consummated, your parents did not give consent until after the ceremony, the Council never gave consent... they will try to claim you are a Moor, or at least related to them. They have more than enough arguments to use against us and... and..." Her eyes became watery, though she tried to hide it. "... I don't want to lose this kingdom." Her voice ended in a whisper. She looked up at him with glossy eyes. "I won't give up on it. This land and these people are my home."
Feeling she could no longer maintain eye contact, the young queen dropped her head into her hands and sunk onto the edge of the enormous bed behind her.
Antonio watched Lovina sorrowfully for a moment, unsure of what to say.
He continued to lean against the wall as he pondered the situation, placing a knuckle upon his chin as he thought.
His brow furrowed and his eyes became serious.
What were they to do? On top of everything Lovina had mentioned, Antonio was also a war criminal. This whole ordeal began as an assassination-turned-kidnapping plot. Did he really expect to suddenly just be accepted as a king? Was it enough that Antonio and his friends had led the kingdom to victory?
The silence engulfed both individuals in the dim light of the queen's chamber.
After several minutes of intense thought, Antonio's features relaxed slightly as a idea dawned on him.
He discretely glanced sideways to ensure that the door was closed.
Arms folded and head tucked down, he sighed.
Lovina finally lifted her head and met his shadowy gaze.
"Lovina," he began, "do you know what the hardest part about being a leader is?"
She did not respond, only raised an eyebrow and regarded him cautiously. His voice had once again slipped into that ominous tone she did not like. She waited for him to continue.
"The hardest part about being a leader is that, whether you lead a kingdom or a squadron of knights, you are responsible for every decision made." He shrugged his shoulders, continuing, "Now, if it is a good decision, one that leads to victory in battle or more land for your subjects, then great; you take the credit. However..." he glanced up and met her wondrous gaze intently, "every misfortune, every mistake, every bad year for crops or increase in taxes... you, as the leader of the people, are blamed for it. You are the face of every law, every event that involves your followers or subjects. You take the credit, but you also take the blame. It is a great pressure... a huge, hidden burden that all rulers must bear."
Lovina frowned. "What is your point?"
Antonio lifted his shoulders innocently. "I was simply thinking: the best position to be in would be that in which one has all the power but does not have to face the consequences. Where one does not have to be the face of every decision. Wouldn't it be nice to work behind the scenes? To have someone else be the mouthpiece? Someone to carry out your commands and have them risk the repercussions and the blame? As I said, I was only thinking... but that would be a very tempting idea, no?"
Lovina stared at him for a very long time. Slowly, her fuzzy confusion morphed into an idea.
"You... you want us to act like their puppets? Do everything the Council wants and pretend to be senseless teenagers just so they don't attack us? I'm not kissing their asses like that!"
Antonio smiled. "Ah, but we just have to make them think we're their puppets... At least until we've been in power longer. Once we've established our place and we have earned the kingdom's trust. Once we have the majority on our side, the Council cannot touch us, Lovina. And you forget, I am a powerful connection. My family is their path to protection and wealth. They will be hesitant to give that up."
Lovina stood up. "But they hate me. And although you may be a valuable asset to this kingdom, they hate you too! And they know I would never roll over and do their bidding. Have you met me?!"
"This could work, Lovi," Antonio insisted, taking a step forward. "Being the queen is a huge responsibility. Perhaps taking the throne proved too great a pressure for you. Maybe your new husband forced some obedience into you. You could fool them into thinking that you'll listen now. You just have to prove that you are devoted and obedient."
"But how am I supposed to prove that?" she practically whined, looking at him earnestly.
Antonio could not suppress a smile at her expression, but it quickly faded.
He was confident that the plan unfolding in his mind would secure them a position of power... just as he was confident that Lovina would not like it.
"What better way to earn a person's trust than by doing them a favor and getting rid of someone they don't like?"
"I'm pretty certain that you and I have earned our spots at the top of their shit-list these past few days. Especially you. They don't trust you, Francis, or Gilbert for having been affiliated with the Teutonic Knights." She paused, as if remembering something. "I heard the priest speaking to the head of the Council saying he didn't like Gilbert being here. He took his red eyes as an omen from the devil... and I'm sure the abundant vulgarity he spews doesn't help his case. And then there's Kitty." Lovina's voice instantly turned bitter. "She's broken just about every God-damned rule there is. I know they have it out for her too. It's unheard of for a woman to go into battle, to speak to us the way she does. ...They'd have her head on a pike if it were up to them."
She looked up once more at Antonio, who nodded at her to continue voicing her thoughts.
"But... I couldn't- I couldn't get rid of either of them. Kitty's my friend... and she loves Gilbert."
Antonio crossed his arms again. "It's Elizaveta," he corrected. "...Are you sure she's your friend?"
Lovina's face crumpled into a scowl. "...No... I'm not sure of anything with her anymore." She paused, shoulders softening. "But, I couldn't execute her! And that albino asshole is your friend. You can't honestly tell me you would just stand by and have him killed."
"I never said you'd have to execute them. I believe simply getting rid of them is enough to prove you are on the Council's side." He closed the distance between them and, although pausing as if unsure whether he was allowed to or not, placed a hand on the queen's shoulder. "Gilbert and I have fought together for many years as leaders within the Teutonic Order. Even he understands that to maintain power requires sacrifice. Would he forgive me? I cannot say. But would he understand why I did it? Without doubt."
Tears welled in Lovina's eyes. She shot him a cold glare and brushed his hand off roughly. "So betraying those who are close to you is worth staying in power, huh? Is that how you think?"
Antonio showed no emotion. In fact, he seemed rather unimpressed and unsurprised by her spiteful reaction.
"You are a smart girl, Lovina. And you must learn to start trusting people other than yourself."
Antonio turned and began walking toward the door.
"I trusted my servant for years... only to find out that I couldn't trust her enough to tell me her own name!" Lovina spat.
At the threshold he paused, turned back and looked into the young woman's eyes.
"Trust me, that this is the right decision."
And with that, the king left the queen alone to muse over their discussion.
So she weighed her options: Punish a young maiden whom she had referred to as her best friend for years, and a knight who had not one week ago risked his life to protect her castle... all to earn the trust of the High Council?
Was this truly the price she would have to pay to keep her throne? Was the throne even worth such a price? Were there no other options?
All these questions and more swirled through her mind.
Eventually, Lovina knew not what else to do. The stress of the last fortnight came to a terrible climax, and she simply fell onto her bed and wept.
ONE WEEK LATER...
"Are you sure you're okay?" Gilbert asked again.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, I can walk," she said confidently as she shakily gripped his arm for support.
"Well you couldn't a week ago so would you calm your tits and slow down?!"
This earned him a punitive smack, though the action lost its effect once Elizaveta and then Gilbert both began giggling.
They stood at the stop of the staircase and began descending it slowly, step by step.
Elizaveta, although still visibly weak, was making a steady recovery, and the king and queen had requested a meeting with she and Gilbert.
An important detail to note is that, although Francis and Antonio each paid Elizaveta frequent visits over the past week, Lovina had not checked on her servant once since the day of the battle.
Therefore, if she had to be perfectly honest with herself, Elizaveta could not deny her slight nervousness for this meeting. A dreadful feeling rose in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought about what would become of her relationship with her mistress after everything that had passed. Ex-mistress? Queen?
She had never wanted Lovina to find out about her past; she knew what position revealing that information would put the little princess in. Moreover, she was ashamed of what Lovina would think of her now.
But when she voiced her fears to Gilbert, he merely shook his head and told her not to worry. Lovina was a good kid, he'd said, and she'd forgive Elizaveta for keeping secrets.
So they found themselves escorted to the throne room, standing like a pair of punished children in front of the two regal thrones. The councilmen stood on either side, looking down harshly upon the summoned pair.
After an awkward silence, Elizaveta began,
"Lovina-"
"DO NOT SPEAK TO ME UNTIL YOU ARE SPOKEN TO!" the young queen snapped. Her voice echoed powerfully off the walls.
Elizaveta flinched and squinted one eye, too frightened to apologize.
Gilbert had a real urge to cuss the girl on the throne out, but restrained himself, deciding it would be the smarter decision to keep his mouth shut for now. He was also a tad bewildered that the green-eyed woman beside him, who had been so fierce in battle, now seemed to shiver in her stockings at the smaller, weaker girl seated on the throne.
He supposed, however, that though the girl seated before Elizaveta may have been weaker in physical strength, in terms of power and authority, Lovina had her bested. Perhaps that's what made Liz worry so much.
...But what could Lovina actually do to them anyway? She would never actually use her power to harm them... right?
"I've called you both here because..." Lovina paused, as though it were difficult for her to say, but forced herself not to show that she struggled with the decision. "...Hhhhh, look, I'm sorry, but, neither of you are immune to the war crimes you've committed, and reprimand must be taken."
"What the hell- is this a joke? We saved your ass!" Gilbert shot.
"War crimes?" Eliza gasped.
After a pause, Gilbert added, "Is this because of the vodka thing with the goat? Because I swear to God, it was the night of the wedding ceremony, we were drunk, and that was completely-"
"SILENCE! We have sources confirming your past personas, Kitty, or Elizaveta, or Eli, as I understand. There is official documentation and records proving your impersonation of a knight, treason, endangerment of a high official-"
"But I swear I-"
"You deceived me, Elizaveta!" Lovina erupted, trying not to show her emotion by holding her rage-trembling hand. "If what you are accused of is true, if you abandoned your own family, engaged in combat, dressed as a male, engaged in fornication or other actions which would label you a whore, it is not only a mark against my house and my kingdom, it is a mark against God. Understand, Elizaveta Héderváry, you have tallied up a list of crimes worthy of capital punishment! Worthy. Of. Death."
"I- I never did any of-" Tears streamed down Elizaveta's face as she shook her head, panicked beyond all reasonable thought.
"Now listen here, sister! Do you know who you're talking to? You can't just-"
"Oh, and where should we start with you, Sir Teutonic Knight?" Lovina interrupted Gilbert. "Attempt on my life, collaboration with the enemy, threats against the monarchy... All high treason!"
"Why you little- Toni! Don't just sit there, man, do something! This chick is spouting total bullshit!"
"I'm afraid, amigo, that I... support, the Queen's decision."
"What the-"
"You and Elizaveta are the reckless ones. You always have been. Your crimes do technically amount to high treason, and... we have a kingdom to protect. Rules to enforce. We cannot bend them just for you."
"But you and Francis-"
"ENOUGH!" Lovina ordered. She glanced to the side at the Council, who looked admittedly surprised at her assuming such authority and disciplined reasoning. "Sir Francis and the King are accused of nothing more than defecting from the enemy ranks and proving loyal protectors of my kingdom's cause. Antonio saved me. You, on the other hand, I don't like you. At all. You are cocky, arrogant, disrespectful, and disgusting. The ONLY reason your head isn't on a platter right now, is because of your war decorations and the appraisal of your two friends." She turned to Elizaveta. "Although I am disappointed in your actions, it would be a lie to say that I have no regard for you, Elizaveta. You have protected me. I am grateful for it...but I cannot have your presence in my palace. Rumors will spread, you technically pose a threat to the inhabitants of this castle."
"You don't really believe that, do you? You can't. Lovina- my Queen- I have loved you as the dearest of friends."
"That is why I'm giving you another chance, Elizaveta," Eliza's eyes widened a bit with a glimmer of hope. "I am hereby banishing you from my kingdom and the surrounding areas."
"What?!"
"You will be given three days to depart. And if you are seen by any of my men again or trespass on this sanctioned land for as long as you live, the punishment will be death. I know this sounds harsh, Elizaveta Héderváry, but it is a gift; you can live your own life somewhere far away. I am giving you an offering: a small amount of start-up money and a secured plot of land over the Swiss Alps. I'm afraid my soldiers will be escorting you there to guarantee you follow demands-"
"Now hold on a freaking minute! I'm not going to let you just up and TAKE Elizaveta."
"And what authority do you have? Huh? Raise your sword against me, German, I dare you, and you will be beheaded by morning!"
He glared dangerously at her.
"You are not off the hook either," Lovina continued.
"Sí, I am afraid, Sir Beilschmidt, that we have decided the most appropriate punishment for you, is also expulsion from the kingdom. ...You are hereby sentenced to feudal incarceration, meaning you will be moved to another prison outside of the kingdom, and will be subject to a life of servitude."
At first, Gilbert deadpanned. Then his face turned red with rage. "No! I won't stand for this! I'm not gonna let you-"
"Gilbert," he heard a whisper and felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. The sound froze the flames brewing in his chest and he turned to behold a defeated-looking Elizaveta. "She's letting us live... If you argue, it might change that..." Her voice shook.
Gilbert held both of her hands and tried to read her, but she only looked miserably down at the floor.
"We'll figure this out, Lizzie, I'll, I'll-"
"GUARDS!" Lovina snapped her fingers. "Escort these two to the dungeon. I want the girl in the north wing and the man in the south end. They will be placed in holding until their departure in exactly three days."
"Wait- no- don't we at least get to say goodbye?"
Three large guards restrained the jerking man and two restrained Elizaveta. They began to drag her out of the room by her elbows. Her ankles dragged on the ground since she was unable to keep up with their heavy, rapid footsteps. "Gilbert? Gilbert!" she shrieked.
"It's alright, Liz. I'll find you. I swear to God, one day I'll find you!"
She paused in her movements for just a moment to look at him. She nodded. "Okay. ...I love you." These were the last words anyone in the room heard her utter before the doors to the throne room slammed shut. The faint shouts of, "Don't touch me, I'd rather crawl to my own cell!" could be heard beyond the wall.
The scribe wrote feverishly. The Council whispered among themselves while watching the queen.
Gilbert then felt large wood and metal locks being placed around his wrists and was roughly tugged in the direction of the adjacent door.
He gritted his teeth but let himself be prodded away, glaring daggers at the pair of monarchs as he exited.
After a moment of silence, the Queen turned and addressed the Council.
"I'd... like to request your permission and your blessing for a journey which will require a leave of absence."
"What?" the head councilman exclaimed.
Lovina hesitated. "I want to see her off." For a moment, it looked as if tears began to well in her eyes. However, she choked in a breath and brushed them away, "If I go through with this, I must see that she arrives safely. I can assure you I will have ample protection and be gone only several days."
The councilman eyed her for a moment, pondering, and then softened his expression.
"My Queen, you have shown great wisdom and maturity in administering just punishment given the circumstances; I do not feel we have any right not to grant you our safest blessing on your travels. May God be with you." They all bowed to her. "Your Grace."
The leader of the High Council smiled evilly, as though he had won a victory; as though he had tamed a wild beast.
Historical Notes
* The Moors were Muslim inhabitants of the the Iberian Peninsula (mainly Spain, Portugal, and even parts of Southern Italy) during the Middle Ages. [Menocal (2002). Ornament of the World, p. 16]. The Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula from North Africa in 711 and were a dominant force until the fall of Granada in 1492 officially marked the end of their rule.[Menocal, María Rosa (2002). Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Little, Brown, & Co. ISBN 0-316-16871-8, p. 241]. Differences in religion and culture led to a centuries-long conflict with the Christian kingdoms of Europe, thus Lovina's comment: "They'll try to claim you're a Moor."
*Consummated: In the Middle Ages, some linked the sacrament of marriage to the nuptial blessing given by the church, but there were others who insisted that it depended on the physical consummation of the marriage. [Brundage, James A. Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1987.]