It's shorter, but now I have to go to a family member's funeral.
...
Finishing his drink, Zachary stood to refill his glass. "This isn't about Karigan," he said as he refilled it.
"Then what is it Zachary? What has you in such a state? You haven't been the same since she left 4 months ago," Estora asked.
With a refilled drink in hand, Zachary went and sat back down on the couch. With a sigh, he dove in. "I want to step down as king."
Zachary watched her closely as she blinked slowly. He could see the inner workings of her take in the information and analyze it. As the room stayed silent and still, he took the time to look inside of himself. He should feel nervous and maybe even doubting that he's taking the right path. But all he felt was relief that it was finally said.
Estora finally asked, "What did you just say?"
"I shouldn't be king, I don't want to be king anymore," Zachary answered.
"What do you mean you shouldn't be king anymore?" she retorted. "Please explain this to me, because I think your reign has been one of the greatest in Sacoridia."
Zachary leaned forward, "You said yourself that I've been in a state since the end of the war. I've never wanted to be the king, from the start. And it has only been through my years of training that I've covered it up for this long. I fear that the time has come that I can no longer cover it. And I fear that it will begin to affect how I govern." He paused to let it sink in.
"So you want to leave the kingdom with no king, no queen, and no heirs?" she asked.
Zachary downed the rest of his drink and set it quickly on the floor. Swallowing against the burn, he answered, "But I won't."
Estora's brows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"What do you think about taking over?" Zachary asked.
Estora seemed to recoil as the room fell silent again. Then she asked, "Take over? As in-"
"You can take over in my stead, as High Queen. There would still be someone that I trust to rule and Sacoridia will still have heirs in line for the throne," Zachary explained. "We can work it out that we dissolve our marriage at the same time that I step down. You will reign, I can still act a counselor if my advice is needed, and I can have the freedom that I've always wanted."
Estora sighed as she sank into the cushions. And when she spoke, her voice was quieter, "What about Zachary, and Ez? Zachary is your heir in line for the throne, and Ez adores you. What about your children?"
Zachary sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He answered honestly, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far."
Estora sighed as well. She said, "I understand where you're coming from Zachary, I really do. But there are so many factors that have to align just in the right way." She shook her head, seemingly lost in thought, "It's like moving the stars to create a constellation." Suddenly, she stood, turning to look at him. "I'm afraid I must retire. I have much to think about." She dipped a curtsey before heading to her bed chamber.
After Estora left, Zachary stood himself. He briefly retrieved the glass that still sat on the floor and replaced it next to the decanter. He then moved to a desk against the wall in the room, picking up a quill and scrawling a letter quickly. He sprinkled it with sand before folding it and sealing it. He sent it off with a Green Foot, who ran it down to the Green Riders.
With the day's tasks done and his mind now awash with how he was going to accomplish his resignation, Zachary went off to his own bed chambers for the night.
The next day, as Zachary was once again working inside his study, there was a knock on his door. "Enter," he answered, not yet finished with his reading of the new tax proposals. Estora entered the room. He looked up at her entrance and waited for her to finish her curtsey.
"My king, I hope you slept well last night," she said.
He smiled mirthlessly, "It was a late night, I'm afraid."
"I'm sure that your thoughts were similar to mine," she responded. "May we speak?"
Zachary set aside the proposals and leaned back in his chair, looking on as his wife pulled up a chair and set it beside his desk. She watched him for a moment, then asked, "Is this really what you need? Because I don't think that I can go along with this if it's only what you want to do. I need to know if it needs to be done."
Zachary answered her immediately, it was a question that he had been pondering over long into the night, "Yes. I've already begun to see that I don't work as well as I had before. Despite my years of training and years in this position. It's not that I'm not working, but what I have done recently isn't at the same level as it was in the past. So, this needs to happen before it gets even worse and the kingdom starts to suffer."
Estora sighed as she leaned back in the chair. The room fell silent as its two occupants went into their own thoughts. When Estora finally spoke again, she said, "Alright." She took a moment to gather her thoughts some more, "What should we do for Zachary and Ez?"
Zachary rubbed his forehead; this was another question that he had pondered for much of the night. "If we are able to accomplish this, my first task will be to find a place to settle. At this point, I'm not completely sure if I will need to build a home or if I will simply purchase one. As soon as I find my new home, I would love to have Zachary and Ez stay with me for a while. Not only will it be good for them to have a break, but it will also give them a chance to see Sacoridia. A kingdom that they will lead one day."
Estora nodded, "I can make that happen. I agree that allowing them to see the kingdom is incredibly important for later. As difficult as this might be, it will be so . . . incredible for them to see the kingdom."
Zachary nodded. He sighed as the meaning of the conversation finally dawned on him. Zachary and Estora's eyes met and held the other. He finally asked, "So we're doing this?"
She smiled, "We are."
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