CHAPTER 4: Eyes Clouded
"Derek! Der-EK!" Queen Uberta's bellow can be heard throughout the castle, echoing through the halls and into rooms where the doors are closed. Her majesty has quite the voice, and she utilizes it.
Upon receiving no answer, the queen frowns and plants her hands on her hips. Her eyes scan the empty room before her. No Derek. He's not in the halls, the library, the gardens, the training grounds—nowhere!
"Where is that boy?!" Queen Uberta exclaims though no one is around to hear her. Well, that won't do. She stomps down the hallways until an unlucky servant crosses her path. "You!" she points at the unfortunate soul. "Where is my son? Have you seen the prince?"
The servant shakes his head even as he bows. "No, your majesty."
That answer will not do. "Go find me someone who does know where he is! We are expecting a very important guest, and he is not getting out of this. I don't care what his excuse is."
The servant stands there.
"Don't just stand there!" the queen exclaims. "Go find the prince! Go, go!"
The servant rushes away. Queen Uberta sighs as she watches him go. He obviously has no idea where the prince is nor is he likely to find him. Truthfully, the queen has a sinking feeling she already knows where he is. It's the same place he has been every day for the past six months.
Practice, practice, practice! That's all Prince Derek does now. He had shown natural talent for the bow and arrow and the sword before this whole "Great Animal" fiasco. Now, however, he trains day and night to hone his skills until he is the deadliest hunter there is.
Queen Uberta does not approve. She will not have her son go galivanting off looking for beasts to slay like some prince of old. There's no need for such deeds of vanquish any longer. Chamberg is a place of peace and music and art! There has not been a single story of any such beasts for hundreds of years.
And yet, her son is convinced of such a tale.
"ROGERS!"
Queen Uberta's roar does the trick. Unlike the servants who, although cared for and loved by their queen, still flee upon hearing that tone of voice, Lord Rogers comes at the Queen's beck and call no matter the harsh edge.
Within two minutes, Rogers is before her. He bows. "Your majesty, the receiving room is all ready for our esteemed guest," he tells her the moment he is before her. "He will be here any moment."
"I hope he's delayed," Queen Uberta grouches. "That would give me time to find my son. Where is he, Rogers?"
"The same place he's been every day for the past half a year."
Queen Uberta crosses her arms. "I knew it. Get him back!"
"I've already sent Bromley off to retrieve him."
"You trust Bromley to bring him back in a timely manner?"
"Do not worry, my queen. He is correctly incentivized to bring Prince Derek back sooner rather than later."
Queen Uberta trusts Lord Rogers's methods because he has always gotten results. She doesn't ask the details—be it blackmail, threats, coercion—does not matter to her. She cares if her son is in the receiving room within the hour.
"Very good, Rogers. You may escort me to the receiving room."
"Of course, madam."
Rogers offers his arm which the queen takes. It's a brief walk over to the receiving room. There, the pillows have been fluffed, the floors cleaned, candles lit, refreshments set out, and windows open wide to allow in the early afternoon sunlight. It seems extra bright in winter thanks to the reflection of the midday light reflecting off of the white snow.
Queen Uberta tucks herself on one side of the ornate couches. The tea is set before her on the table. She's tempted to pour herself a cup and take one of the cakes, but it would be rude to do so when they are specifically set aside for her guest. Uberta is nothing if not the peak of queenly manners.
She has hosted foreign dignitaries, their wives, and their children for years. She knows the protocol for each kingdom's specific traditions. She also knows how to host the commoners. Her subjects come to her with their requests and problems. With a biscuit and a cup of tea, any problem seems easier to resolve thanks to stomachs not being empty. That is one of the tricks of the trade.
Today's guest is important which is why Queen Uberta will utilize every trick she knows, everything to try and make this man comfortable and content. She hasn't seen him since Odette's receiving ceremony when she was born and she and Derek traveled to meet the new heir. King William's uncle is rather…odd. Which is why she was all the more thankful when the crown fell on William's head instead of his brother's or his uncle's when William's father passed away.
King William was a good man.
Queen Uberta finds herself wringing her hands together. She stops this by interlocking her fingers, clamping them tightly together, and keeping them tucked in her lap.
Any thought of King William makes Queen Uberta anxious.
He had been such a good friend over the years to her and her husband. She had considered him family despite not being blood. It was…difficult…to lose him. Almost as difficult as losing her own dear Maximillian. It would have been lovely to call William an in-law. He was one of the few people in the world Queen Uberta trusted implicitly. And he had done such a wonderful job in raising Odette. They were exactly who Queen Uberta had hoped to have connected to herself, her kingdom, and her son.
Speaking of her son, Prince Derek comes bursting through the doors almost ten minutes before their guest is due to arrive. He's in a rumpled state. His clothes are wrinkled and offset, his hair is windswept, and his boots are caked in mud.
Mud. Mud! Mud on her clean floors!
"Derek! Your shoes," Queen Uberta shrieks as she stands and points accusingly at her son.
"It's fine," is all Prince Derek says before flopping himself down in the nearest chair.
"It is most certainly not fine! Now quickly go make yourself presentable before our guest arrives."
"You wanted me here on time, and I'm here. It's fine, mother."
"This is not how you conduct yourself in front of fellow royalty, young man, and you know that."
"I was busy."
"You were not 'busy'." Queen Uberta is getting rather irked at her son's flippant tone. "You were traipsing around the woods again."
"I was training—"
"You were putting yourself in unnecessary danger all the while you knew you had specific responsibilities today."
"I'm doing this for the kingdom! The Great Animal is still out there—"
"Don't you lie to me, young man. You are doing this for Odette who is—"
"Don't say it!"
"—dead. She's gone, Derek! Why won't you accept that? Everyone else has!"
Derek is on his feet with that same stubborn look on his face Uberta knows is mirrored in her own. Rogers has joked plenty of times that Derek has inherited his stubbornness from his mother. Maximillian never dug in his heels as much as Uberta. They had a good balance like that.
However, in this moment, Uberta wishes he had inherited more of his father's easy disposition and willingness to do what's needed without a fuss.
Derek opens his mouth for the angry retort that Uberta knows is coming when a new voice joins the conversation.
"She's right, you know."
Both royals turn to see the Duke of Winsington in the doorway. Rogers, who had been making frantic waving gestures from behind the Duke to try and get the Queen's attention, smacks his hand over his eyes. He sighs and introduces the Duke anyway despite the blatant awkwardness of the situation.
"Queen Uberta, Prince Derek, it is my great pleasure to introduce the Duke of Winsington." Rogers gives a small bow to the older man. The Duke shuffles into the room. His smile is crooked thanks to an old war injury. His shoulders hunch greatly to the point he is nearly bent in half because of "these old bones", as he puts it. He has very little hair, and dark sunspots litter the top of his balding head.
The Duke shuffles in and sits. He smacks his lips a couple of times in the silence that follows his entrance until he sees the cakes on the table. "Mind if I take one of those? Traveling makes me peckish."
"Oh! Yes. Yes, of-of course." Queen Uberta quickly shuffles over to the refreshments. "Please, help yourself. I'll pour you some tea. Cream and sugar?"
"Neither, thank you. Simple tea would suffice."
Queen Uberta goes about pouring the man his tea. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches Prince Derek sit in his previous seat. At least he's sitting up straight this time.
"How was your journey?" Queen Uberta asks, plastering on a smile as she hands the Duke his tea.
"Long and boring," the Duke says.
Queen Uberta winces. He certainly isn't one to mince words.
"How unfortunate," she says. "If there's anything we can do to make your stay here in Chamberg more entertaining, please let us—"
"Please, Queen Uberta," the Duke cuts her off, "if we could skip pleasantries, that would be wonderful. I'd rather get straight to the business of this meeting."
"Of course." Queen Uberta takes her seat. Her own teacup rests in her lap, one finger curled through its handle. It helps ground her, to hold something. "Your letter was rather vague. I am quite curious as to what warranted a visit instead of being settled via correspondence."
"When a man is giving up his kingdom, he'd rather do it in person."
The words hang in the air like an unignorable storm cloud. Queen Uberta looks over to Derek who looks just as shocked as she does.
"Uh…" Queen Uberta swallows. "I'm sorry, sir. I would like for you to elaborate because it sounded as if you wanted to—to give up your crown."
"I do!" With that exclamation, a few crumbs spew from the Duke's mouth. He takes a big, long sip of his tea. He sets it on its plate then places both items on the small table before him. He sits back in his chair. "I am regent of King William's land, I am not King William myself. I never wanted the crown, nor was I ever meant to have it. I am here to offer you the crown in order to officially combine our lands like you and King William planned all those years ago."
"I…I…but, sir." Queen Uberta can't quite comprehend what's being spoken to her. "What you are suggesting cannot be done!"
The Duke raises an eyebrow at her. "Why not? All the plans were ready. King William had spent years telling the people all the good that would come from combing the lands, so the subjects are all on board. The nobles wouldn't lose their titles or their lands. In fact, their pockets would benefit in the long run. We would be gaining extra security that comes with more soldiers in our still recovering army, even thirty years later. Not to mention, all the ports would be under one crown."
The Duke sighs. He meets Queen Uberta's still shocked gaze. "Please understand, Uberta. I'm the last in our line. I am ruling as regent until the nobles decide to fight over the crown, but we are tired of fighting. Most of them still remember the barbarian wars. They are none too keen on losing their sons in a possible civil war if they cannot come to an agreement on who should rule. Odette was our final hope for a fresh start."
Upon Odette's name, Queen Uberta's eyes flick over to Derek who's face has turned rather pale.
"Without her, well…" the Duke waves away the thought with one wrinkled hand.
"She's not dead."
Queen Uberta winces. "Derek!" she hisses at him quietly despite knowing the Duke can clearly hear her. Her warning does no good anyway.
"She's out there, and I'm going to find her." Derek's resolution is absolute. Anyone can tell.
Instead of correcting what the Prince says, the Duke brings his fingertips together then brings his hands up to his face, creating a steeple in front of his face. "If that's the truth, and you will bring her back—which I'm sure if anyone can, it would be a young, determined man such as yourself—we cannot wait for the time that you do. I'm not going to live forever, Prince Derek. I need to know my kingdom—my people—will be safe and taken care of when I'm gone. I am the last of my line. I refuse to die before making sure all matters are settled."
Prince Derek turns to Queen Uberta who has brought her hand up to her mouth. Her fingernails tap her lips.
Is it really that simple? All those years of planning weren't for nothing?
Queen Uberta decides that opportunities like this shouldn't be questioned too acutely.
"Sir Duke," she says with her most winning smile, "we will happily take your kingdom under our wing. Your people will be well taken care of as the newest citizens of Chamberg!"
The Duke claps his hands together. "Excellent!"
"Mother?"
"Isn't this wonderful, Derek?" Queen Uberta says with a strain in her voice that she hopes her son will pick up on. Celebrate now, questions later.
Thankfully, Prince Derek knows his mother well because he plasters on something akin to a smile and nods at the Duke. "We will do you proud, sir."
"Ha!" The Duke staggers to his feet. He manages to stand before Derek reaches him to help him up. The Duke takes his hand anyway and shakes it before clapping him on the shoulder. "You should be quite happy, Prince Derek. If even half the stories King William told me are true, it seems that you're getting the best deal out of it all."
"Sir?"
"You get the kingdom without being chained to someone you don't love. Don't know if I could have parted with the kingdom knowing you and Odette would make each other miserable despite what King William was trying to do."
If Derek looked pale before, he looks positively sick now.
Queen Uberta quickly shifts the man's attention back to herself. "So when do we start the preparations for combining our lands, hm? What are your thoughts?"
"Oh, there's still plenty to do. Now that I know this plan has your blessing and you accept it, I have much more to discuss with the nobles back home. Details, details…"
"It can't be that simple," Derek says as he paces in his mother's receiving room. The Duke left to rest an hour ago. He will rejoin them at supper. Until then, the queen and the prince have plenty to discuss. "It just can't be. His whole kingdom? There's got to be something he's not telling us."
"No, I don't believe there is," Queen Uberta says. She pours herself the last the of the tea from the pot. It has gone cold, but she has trained herself to be able to drink cold tea through the years. It's a matter of manners, eating and drinking less than ideal items in order to please the person who offered them to you. It's the kind thing to do.
"His whole kingdom? He's going to give it to us without asking for anything in return?" Derek crosses his arms and stands staring out the window. "I don't believe it. He's got to have some ulterior motive."
"The Duke has already made his motivations quite clear, and he is receiving something in return."
"The knowledge that his kingdom will be well taken care of when he's gone? It can't be that simple," Derek repeats. "Maybe the barbarians are giving him trouble again, and he needs fresh blood for his army."
"That is one thing, but I have already sent scouts out along their border with those heathens, and there seems to be nothing brewing."
Derek turns in disbelief to his mother who scoffs at him.
"Honestly, Derek! Do you think I just retreated from life when King William and Odette were no longer with us? No, I was proactive." Queen Uberta puts emphasis on the word in some small hope her son will pick up on her desire for him to also be proactive in running the kingdom he is to inherit. "King William, as far as I am concerned, was family. He is, in a way, a brother, thanks to his relationship to your father. When dearest William was—" Queen Uberta takes a deep breath, "—after he died, I made sure the barbarians did not get any funny ideas about taking advantage of the sudden weakness."
Queen Uberta sips her tea before meeting her son's eye. "What has Rogers told you of the barbarian attacks?"
Derek's brows furrow. He moves away from the window and goes to sit opposite his mother. "He told me they lasted almost ten years, and that it was rough on everyone involved. It wasn't until we interfered that they were pushed back."
"Hm. I see he has only told you the basics. Perhaps, in our kingdom's time of peace, we have neglected to tell you of the true horrors of war." Though Queen Uberta is a woman of dramatics, there is nothing theatrical about what she is about to tell her son.
"You know the history of the barbarians to our southwest. You know they used to be a vast kingdom until they split in civil disputes to become several factions that lived to try and win over the others to become one once again. One of the stronger ones was unfortunately close to the border. They had the idea to try and expand northward rather than fight the multiple factions below them. It was during King William's father's reign that they were attacked.
"What you don't know is how brutal things were." Queen Uberta can't seem to stop staring at the tea leaves at the bottom of her nearly empty teacup. "What was done to the men…not only to the men but the women and children as well."
Queen Uberta remembers visiting the kingdom once. There to give aid and supplies after the fighting had ceased and the land was safe for traversing. She recalls seeing a woman with torn clothes barely hanging on to her body, soot on her face, blood dripping down her arms, carrying her deceased child. Her eyes were completely vacant as she walked down the path, completely bypassing the aid station to her right.
Queen Uberta remembers little else of that visit beyond that image.
There is an annoying rattling, and Queen Uberta realizes it is her hand moving the teacup against the plate beneath it. She immediately puts the set down on the table.
"You, my son, were born in a time of peace. We are friends with friendly kingdoms who also have known peace for quite some time. We smile and bow and shake hands and discuss trade and make deals. We do not fight things with swords. For that I am grateful, but we are at a disadvantage.
"Yes, the Duke is hoping for men to replenish his army. However, we would gain something too. If we were ever to go to war, it would not be our generals that would win, but the generals we would gain from combining our forces. They have seen war. They know strategy. We simply have numbers. Together, we would be strong."
Derek stares at his mother with eyes that do not see her. Good. Perhaps she is getting through to him. His mind may be imagining exactly what it is that her words entail.
"What the Duke wants from this deal is for fresh life in his kingdom. We have such vibrancy here in Chamberg. They are still jaded from war. When Odette came along," Uberta pushes into the subject that is her son's least favorite, but he needs to know, "she had the hope of the entire kingdom put upon her.
"Think about it this way: King William inherited a broken kingdom from a father who died in war, an uncle whose body was broken in battle, a banished brother who lost himself to the Forbidden Arts of the barbarian clans, and a queen lost in childbirth. Odette was the one symbol for a hopeful beginning. When William and I decided to try and combine our lands via the easiest and most logical way possible, it was meant for the good of all, not out of a selfish will simply to gain."
"Your father always admired William," Queen Uberta feels the sting of her nails digging into her palms. She fights the lump in her throat. "They were both so similar, it was comical to watch them get together. And of course, I adored Aurbi. Such a lovely woman. So easy to talk to. She always listened, no matter how long I talked without interruption. I do miss her. Sometimes…Sometimes Odette would look at me that exact way Aubri would. And you—you are so much like your father."
Derek lowers his gaze to hide his own misting eyes. "Why…Mother, why didn't you force us to get married?"
Queen Uberta laughs. It's a painful, wet sound as she makes it through the tears she attempts to force back. "And make you two unhappy for the rest of your lives? No. You and Odette both came from marriages of love, not forced convenience. We wanted that same love to develop between the two of you. We wanted you to be happy. Perhaps we went about it the wrong way, telling you we meant for it to be when we should have let it develop naturally." Queen Uberta shakes off her melancholy. "Oh well…hindsight and all that."
Derek swallows thickly. It's as if his mouth has become parched, but he doesn't think he'd be able to stomach even a swallow of the tea before him. He barely had two sips of it while it was hot, too distracted by the contents of the meeting to pay much mind to it.
"Derek, Odette is gone. You need to move on," Queen Uberta says solemnly. She speaks in a tone she does not use often with her son—authoritative and unmoving, yet kind and understanding because she knows what she is saying will hurt the person she loves the most. "You are now free to marry for love. Free to chose from the many women who have had their fathers ask after you for many years now. You have my permission to start the pursuit of anyone you deem worthy. And, once you have done this, you may focus on becoming the king Chamberg needs you to be, now more than ever with the new responsibilities given to us today."
Finally, finally, finally, Queen Uberta thinks she has gotten through to her son. He says nothing as he stands and heads for the door. Then she hears the footsteps stop at the doorway. She does not turn to look at her son. She simply waits.
"She's not dead," is all Derek says before leaving his mother completely alone in the receiving room.
Queen Uberta sighs. Her shoulders sag with the action. She slumps forward, places her face in her hands, and cries.
But only for a moment!
Queen Uberta grabs a napkin, dabs her eyes dry, stands, squares her shoulders, and readies her lungs. She takes a deep breath, then—"CHAMBERLAIN!"
Only one minute passes before the short man with the mustache appears before his queen. "Y-Yes, your majesty? Can I be of service?"
"I want a complete list of all eligible princesses within a five-kingdom radius of our lands, understood? Start with the princesses, then add duchesses. After that, I want a secondary list of all countesses, viscountesses, and baronesses. We want to cover all of our bases."
"Yes, of course, your majesty, right away. B-B-But, ah, what—what would this be for?"
Chamberlain shrinks under the rather devious smile of the Queen. "Why, we are going to throw a ball, of course! It's about time Derek opens his eyes to the world of possibilities."