Chapter 6: Crowning Achievement

Two more years passed, and during that time, a lot had occurred. The twins were now 21 years old, and Moses and Roseanna had celebrated 10 years of marriage. Sariya was going to turn 20 in October, and her relationship with Seamus had only deepened. They saw each other in secret most nights, and on Seamus's vacation days, the princess had found a way to excuse herself so they could travel together for a few days. Jaime had eventually confessed to Sariya not long after her 18th birthday that he'd accidentally discovered her relationship with Seamus, but he promised her he wouldn't tell anyone. That had earned him the most earnest and grateful hug he'd ever received, and he still found himself wishing he could feel the same from Ember. However, Sariya was such a good person, and someone he still secretly considered a great friend, so he accepted the experience for what it was: from Sariya, not from Ember.

The one dark blot on the last two years, aside from Ember's occasional negative outbursts that she'd been prone to most of her life (which had diminished quite a bit as she'd aged), was the king's health. He'd begun experiencing dizziness and fainting spells, and after passing out in a few meetings within a month's time span, he finally saw his royal medic. The doctor couldn't find anything medically wrong with him, but he was concerned about his ability to rule with these spells becoming more frequent.

"I think I need to step down as king, Roseanna," Moses told his wife as they were lying in bed together late one night, her head resting on his chest after they'd just enjoyed each other's physical company for nearly an hour (which was quite impressive, given the man's current health situation).

Roseanna frowned as she felt him playing with her hair. She knew this conversation was coming, but she had hoped it wouldn't come so soon. "Moses…"

"I can't rule with my poor health, Rose. You know that…" He grunted a bit as he slowly sat up, reclining against a mountain of pillows, before gesturing for Roseanna to return to her spot, which she did. "My fainting spells have gotten out of hand, and I know something's wrong… It could be exhaustion, or it could be something much worse that just hasn't revealed itself yet. My mother's father used to get these spells, she told me, and he ignored them and continued working. He was dead within a year."

She traced her fingers along his bare chest, drawing little images on his skin. "So… If you step down, what happens? Who is next in line?" It only took a soft sigh from her husband to realize the answer. "Ember. Moses, no…"

He shook his head. "I know, dear, but… She's next in line, according to the most recently updated legislation: the first born child will ascend to the throne. According to royal protocol, I must pass my reign to her. And honestly, I just…"

Roseanna sat up, pulling the sheets with her to wrap around her torso. "Moses, I'm just not sure that's the best idea… You know how she is. She can be brash in her decision making. She bosses Jaime around, alienates Sariya… I heard her yelling at the waitstaff a few days ago for being too slow, when they were literally going faster than I've ever seen. How will that translate to a ruler? Over this whole kingdom and all your people?"

The king sighed heavily, a hand rising to rest against the side of his head. "I know, Roseanna, trust me. If it were up to me and I could change those laws, I would. I'd pass my position to someone else. Though, Jaime is too loyal to Ember, and I love Sariya, but she—"

"…Isn't of noble blood, and would definitely not want it," the queen concluded, smiling. "I know."

"Yes. Even my own sister would be a better choice, were she not traveling so often, but still… My hands are tied. As it stands, Ember will be queen, so we must hope for the best."

"Well…" Roseanna shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe giving her that much responsibility would be a good, positive change for her. She can be fiery and mean-spirited, so maybe placing the entire kingdom on her shoulders will humble her. After all, responsibility sometimes has a way of really changing people for the better."

While hesitant to agree, Moses found himself humming thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose…" He reached out to his wife, tracing his fingers down her forehead and nose, then brushing across her lips, making her smile. "I'll tell her tomorrow, but for now…" He moved his hand to the back of her head, gently pulling her down so he could kiss her.

And thus, they spent most of the rest of the night in each other's arms. As usual.

At breakfast, Moses, Roseanna, and their children were gathered, eating in relative silence. When they were mostly finished, Moses glanced at Roseanna, who just smiled encouragingly at him, nodding.

"I think I need to talk to you all about something," Moses told the others, who looked up at him, their attention focused on him. "It's a bit of a long story, so please listen carefully."

He proceeded to tell them of his medical issues, his fainting spells, and his inability to really focus on his work. Because the kingdom needed a strong ruler in good health, he had no choice but to step down and focus on getting better. Besides, he'd been ruling for a number of years, so maybe now it would be best to rest and perhaps try new things.

"But Dad, if you're retiring, who will take over for you?" Jaime wondered, before hearing a gasp from his twin next to him. He noted the stunned expression on her face before blinking, realization kicking in. "Wait, Ember?"

"Me?" Ember asked, her mouth agape. "Would it really be me?"

Moses nodded, retaining his serious nature as he folded his hands in front of him on the table. "As the older twin, Ember, yes, you would rightfully be the heir to the throne. However, if you don't want to do it, Jaime could—"

Jaime shook his head, waving his hands. "N-No, Dad. No, I'd be a terrible ruler. Ember was born to lead."

Sariya turned her head to the side so she could roll her eyes in peace. She caught sight of Seamus passing by the doorway, and her mood instantly lightened. She subtly blew him a kiss, which he smoothly indicated he'd caught by grasping at thin air, a soft smile on his own face as he passed.

"Ember, sweetheart…" Moses reached across the table and took his daughter's hand. "Listen. I know this is quite a lot I'm asking you to do. It will be challenging and very difficult sometimes. There are a lot of decisions to make as a leader of a kingdom, but you will have advisors. My own advisors are ready to step in and help you whenever you need them. Plus, you will shadow me for at least a month before I officially step down. That way, I can cover all the important bases, and you'll be more prepared to rule. What do you think?"

For perhaps the first time in years, Ember seemed truly happy and astounded, not to mention honored for the consideration. Without words to express her excitement, she bolted from her chair and hurried to her father, hugging him tightly. "Dad, I will be the best queen Exchancia has seen since Grandmother." She stepped back, smiling at him. "I'll be a memorable ruler, and I'll lead this kingdom to greatness. I promise you."

Moses appeared to be relieved to hear those words from his daughter, and he smiled at her. "Wonderful. We'll start your shadowing tomorrow, and in a month, we'll hold your coronation. There's a lot to cover, so make sure you pay close attention, ask questions, and make note of what I tell you."

"I will, Dad."

"Queen Ember?" Seamus asked later that night as he and Sariya were walking around the outskirts of the kingdom, their hands clasped and swinging gently as they did. "Ooh, I don't know how I feel about that, Sariya. She's so coldblooded. Erm, no offense. I know she's your sister."

"Stepsister," she corrected with a small scoff. "She reminds me often enough that we're not blood related, so I am not obligated to claim her either. I like Jaime and King Moses. I sometimes even catch myself calling him 'Dad,' but I'm scared to say that around Ember because I just know she'd try to attack me if I did. She's very territorial over her family."

"Especially Prince Jaime, I noticed," the jester mentioned as the two of them stopped near a tree, leaning against it as they continued chatting. "She bosses him around, pushes him, and seems to have some sort of strange trance over him or something. Have they always been like that?"

"Ever since I got here with my mom, yes. Jaime is sweet, but he's a pushover. If Ember says to jump, he'll ask how high, just to make her happy." She shook her head. "I hope he wakes up someday and realizes just how terrible she is. And Seamus, if she's going to be the queen, I think it's time for us to revisit our plans… I don't want to live under Ember's rule. I mean, if it's for a little while, maybe we can handle it, but think how she is now… If she's given that level of power and prestige, I just know she'll abuse it."

Seamus took both of her hands in his, kissing them gently. "Sariya, I don't have quite enough for us to live comfortably right now, and time really is of the essence. Just be patient, my love. No matter what happens, I'll still be here with you. Even if she sends me away for some reason, I'll find my way back to you."

The princess grasped his shirt, pulling him toward her. "You better." She pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him lovingly, giggling as he pulled her in closer, embracing her fully.

"Queen Ember," Jaime mumbled softly as he sat behind Ember, helping her brush out her hair before bed. It was a nightly routine they'd picked up a few years ago when the future queen began growing her hair longer. As it was well known, it wasn't uncommon for ladies in their royal line to have lengthy locks, and Ember thought she looked really nice with the length, so she went for it. However, reaching some sections of her hair was impossible without help, so Jaime volunteered to help her. It reached her hips now, so while she was sitting in front of him on her bed, it spilled onto the comforter just a bit. "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm…" She paused, not sure what to say. She'd always figured she would take over for her father someday, and secretly she'd desired the throne for years. She had so many things she'd fix… But honestly, it was coming much faster and sooner than she'd expected. "I don't know, Jaime…"

Was that hesitancy he sensed? Ember had always been so sure of herself and everything around her, so to experience her in a state of confusion and uncertainty was so strange… Still, for her comfort, he kept brushing her hair, making sure to be gentle so as not to hurt her by tugging too hard. "You would be a good queen."

She blinked, not expecting his response. For all the times she'd treated him so poorly, he still thought that about her? "Really?"

"Of course, Ember. You're tough, smart, and organized. You're not afraid of anything. I think you could probably fix a lot of problems our kingdom has."

Ember turned around, taking the brush from her brother, and she pointed it at him almost threateningly. "You're not just saying that, right, Jaime? You wouldn't lie to me, right?"

"N-No, Ember…" He paused, thinking about the secret he'd kept from her regarding Sariya… Okay, maybe he had more than one secret, but… "I'm serious. I think you will be…a wonderful queen." He smiled disarmingly, reaching up to remove the brush from her hand, tossing it across the bed. He then gently tugged her hair, his smile growing when she actually giggled at his actions. "And you'll look a lot like our mom when you're the queen. The kingdom will think they've seen a ghost, but it'll really be our Ember Queen. Uh, Queen Ember, sorry."

"Hmm, it works that way too, though… Embers are the start of a fire, right? I know I'm passionate about things, so… I don't mind Ember Queen or Queen Ember." She nodded. "I think I could get used to this, Jaime…" She leaned forward, kissing his cheek, causing him to sputter in surprise. "Thanks. I needed that confidence boost. But I need to get to bed, so get out."

Jaime was a bit taken aback by her sudden mood change. She'd gone from being uncertain to flattered, then to sweet, and now pushy again. He couldn't keep up with her mood swings, but he knew better than to question her or defy her. "Okay. Night, Ember. I love you."

"I know." She waved him off, yawning as she headed to her closet to change into her night clothing.

Jaime closed the door behind him, leaning against it, his head resting on the wooden surface as he exhaled slowly. "Queen Ember…" He closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "This will either be surprisingly good…or very, very bad…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Hired Help