Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 66

[ The King ]

What a morning. Ethyn arriving home was one thing but the connection with Lady Esther was more than unexpected. I had rather anticipated that he would find himself quite enamoured with Prince Jolin but it hadn’t been the case. My rough and ready Daughter, who would rather drink and fight, had been ensnared by love instead. Colette had never shown romantic interest in anyone before. In fact she had not even shown any interest in pleasures of the flesh.

Should I be entertaining all these twists and turns? I wasn’t sure but it seemed more prudent to control the flow then try to stop it. My hope was that this tower I was building, this fragile haphazard piece of engineering with all its last minute additions wasn't going to collapse. Ye Gods bring me Blessings and may the Earth and Sky watch over me.

It felt like I was making an, ahem, Royal mess. It was easy to see how King Fendryn was struggling to keep a grip on things. All things considered I doubted that it was overly presumptuous of me to think that things must be much more intense with his piece of the Remnant than they were for me here.

It was one problem after another. I needed a nap. Right now though I was trying to decide whether the issue at hand was an issue at all and if it were an issue was it an issue I had made?

"Willis, please have a seat." I said, pulling them from their low bow.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Willis was tense. They were often troublesome and problematic but their life had been fraught with a brokenness that a few kind years would not fix. They needed much more than that. I saw it now. Zach's words rang in my ears. 'Do you think she was loved?'. He had said it about Lady Esther but it applied to Willis just as much. The Captain's words were in my mind too - sold at 7 years old.

Willis was a Yelka, encased in the hardest of winters. I suspected that given the chance they would be the most beautiful bloom.

"Tea?"

"Please, Your Majesty." They looked about ready to bolt.

"I hear you are quite partial to lavender, so I have already taken the liberty of having a pot sent up." I tried to soothe, be calming.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Your Majesty." Willis was still on edge but not quite as highly strung as when they had first entered. Smiling I poured the tea, filling two powder blue mugs that I had organised specifically for this.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why the fondness? Lavender tea is quite an unusual choice." Willis was not dumb. Not by a long shot. The blue mugs, selected in their shade, demonstrated (in a subtle manner) that this was a peaceful meeting. It showed Willis that they had been thought about, that they were valued.

"It helps to deepen the well, Your Majesty." Willis hugged the mug tightly. That was news. Big news indeed.

"I see." My reply was simple. I kept the revelation to myself. Han sent me little notes about Esther every day. There was a certain note regarding Esther's switch to Lavender tea that came to mind. Willis had known of Esther's burnup. I was positive of it. Why they had kept the information to themselves and what purpose that served I wasn't sure. There was a grudge. There was some rivalry, but enough for Willis to let Esther die?

I suppose there had been. Esther had died and Willis had walked away.

Could I trust Willis? Was this so outside the usual that it could be overlooked? Captain Preston hadn't particularly behaved in a manner that was trustworthy regarding this situation and yet I had been willing to put it to one side. It wasn’t because I valued the Captain over Willis. They both were excellent at their jobs; Willis was just less disciplined with it. It also wasn't because I found Garrett more attractive - Willis did command my attention in that way, but unlike the Captain, Willis's attitude irked me and their failure to express themselves in an emotional capacity that wasn't anger or defiance made me less sympathetic.

“My Son tells me you took Lady Esther to the library today.”

“I did, Your Majesty.”

“Good, I am glad. You have been putting in quite the effort, so I hear; taking activities and such to her room.” I paused a moment to sip my tea. “The whole affair has been quite the undertaking - months of pursuing a very fruitless task.”

“I tried my best, Your Majesty.” Willis was barely breathing.

“Indeed, I am quite satisfied that you did. Evidently Lady Esther was for that time either too upset or too ill to appreciate as such.” I let the moment settle, simply drinking some more tea and relaxing in my chair. “I do enjoy floral teas. Rose is usually my first pick but I’m also partial to Jasmine. Certainly I shall be drinking lavender more often, it is rather delightful.”

“I’m pleased to hear that, Your Majesty. Most are unappreciative of lavender tea.” Willis relaxed just a little. The mug was no longer being gripped as though they were attempting to crush it. Our little conversation, small talk, was not quite so small. We were both aware of the undercurrent but I did not wish to continue with this masked way of speaking and so I stepped right in.

“Do you wish to continue being Lady Esther’s companion, or would you rather go back to regular duties? It is apparent that she will not be recovering her former self, nor is she a risk of any kind in the castle and so it would seem unnecessary to keep you pinned to her side.” With a long look at Willis’s marginally panicked face I stroked my beard thoughtfully. “This is not a trick question, Willis. You can take some time and think about it if you want, but there is a condition or two. If you choose to continue being in Lady Esther’s company, this,” I gestured to the entirety of their person with a flick of my wrist, “has to stop. No more playing pretend. It is not viable long term. It is also not a reasonable thing to ask of you long term. Be Josephine or Joseph when it so takes you. Show her your magic. I hadn’t not expected things to play out as they have, as such it is time to make adjustments.”

Willis was open mouthed, clearly surprised by my words but they recovered themselves quickly.

“Is that the only condition, Your Majesty?” Willis’s eyes, in that stunning pale shade of blue, looked to have gathered a little extra moisture. Carefully, I placed my mug on the tray next to the pot before leaning forward, elbows on the desk with my hands interlocked. A thoughtful pose.

“Do I need other conditions?” With a stare that I was sure had an intensity that was situationally appropriate I stared Willis down. “I am aware of a number of things that you would not be particularly glad to find me knowledgeable of, Willis. I am letting them slide… again. This is not a cup of infinite opportunity, there is a line. The line is not with your shade - make no mistake about that. The line is with your behaviour. DO I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, Your Majesty.” I could practically see the thoughts turning over behind Willis’s eyes.

“Excellent.” I sat back. “An answer by the end of the week please, I recognise that this may be a lot to think about.”

“That is most appreciated, Your Majesty, but I am decided. I would very much like to stay by Lady Esther’s side after all the Remnant is still unaccounted for.”

“Ah, I see. Willis, no. That is not what I was asking of you. It is not what I will be asking of you. I am asking if you want to stay with and connect with Taiya, who is now Lady Esther as her friend - not as a spy.” The room rippled a little. Willis was struck by my words in a way that had their magic flaring.

“I, I, er.” They gulped, eyes glowing slightly.

“Take your time, no rush.” I sipped the tea.

“You know.” They said softly.

“I know.” I affirmed.