Chapter 12: Undercurrents
1381 Words
Chapter 12: Undercurrents
Third Person's POV
The royal celebration ended successfully and the little competition of archery was well received by the guests and nobles.
It is really a lucky chance to see up close the abilities of some of the leading figures of the kingdom in the younger generation.
"Your majesty the Queen, Royal Advisor Agiel requests for an audience."
The serious voice of her royal knight roused Nem from the bundles of records and memorials that is all about the happenings inside and outside the territory of her kingdom.
It has been a couple of days after the royal celebration, and as the new ruler and Queen of the Regin Kingdom, Nem started to tackle the small and relatively bigger issues of her territory while also learning the best way to solve them.
She did not even has the chance to feel stupified by the large amount of reports of the ordinary citizens about the corruption, food shortage, mountain bandits, and the ruthlessness of some town officials before seeing the ridiculous memorials passed by those higher political officials and higher military personnels.
The memorials are written in elegant fonts and in fluid motion like the content is really something important and grave only to be some small gossip and disputes about the aristocrats and the royal family.
Her slender fingers helplessly pressed on her thumping forehead before sighing in resignation to how the world of the nobles differ from the major citizens of the kingdom. The nobles' affairs seem so childish with the contrast of the suffering of the citizens. But, who could she blame? The status quo has been like this since the privilege of being born from an influential family means the privilege of having power and wealth in the palm of their hands.
Nem just closed the memorial that she is currently reading and slowly fixed up her appearance before knocking three times on the precious wooden table in front of her. It is a signal to accept the request of the seeking party.
On the other side of the huge imposing doors of the royal study, Royal knight Zyar who heard the signal slightly nodded to the always smiling politely Royal advisor of the crown.
Agiel opened the doors by himself, because although there are designated door sentries on every door on the royal palace, Nem dislikes the idea of being watched attentively by those she isn't familiar with.
Agiel swept his eyes casually in the royal study before respectfully getting down on one knee to bow in respects to the etiquette of the kingdom.
"You may rise."
Nem inquisitively looked at Agiel and could not help but to guess the severity of the matter that he have to especially come to her. She doesn't need to guess too long because once Agiel gracefully got up from his kneeling position, he immediately blurted out a very disturbing matter.
"Old Duke Zoir has fallen ill with the same symptoms that befall the late king."
The news bewildered Nem with a couple of complicated feelings that cannot be described by the present her.
Old Duke Zoir is a distant relative nephew of the great-grandfather of the late king, the sixth ruler of Regin. His family was given the title of Duke by the fifth ruler because of a meritorious deed, and was later even entangled with the royal family by marriage, and the power and resources of their family that accumulated from their rise in status could be called immense.
The only daughter out of the four children of the Old Duke is also a part of the royal family as one of the royal consorts of the late king. She is the royal consort mother of the sickly princess, princess Amayris' mother.
The Old Duke that is full of spirit and arrogance is now only a healthy old man that is living off his last years in peace and leisure, but the sudden appearance of the illness that her royal father succumbed to, to be on the body of the Old Duke is clearly a shocking news.
The illness of her royal father is certainly an unknown disease but it is clearly not infectious.
So, how could the Old Duke have the same illness?
The Old Duke is living peacefully and healthily in his home like a recluse without seeing the outside world. How could he contract a deadly illness like that?
The question circled inside Nem's head that gave her another headache even stronger when she was checking the reports and memorials earlier.
All kinds of speculations jumbled through her thoughts, but Nem's life experience of being a flower protected by the halo-like filtered glass of the late king prevented her from thinking deeply in a negative way.
"Your majesty...?"
The questioning voice of Agiel dispersed the scattered and confusing pieces of information in her head.
"Send the royal physician on this Queen's behalf and inquire the royal consort Mary about her plan to visit her Old father the Duke Zoir."
A pale and sickly image of a young girl purely smiling at her flashed past Nem's eyes making her feel unbearably distressed.
"Also inquire about the third princess Amayris' condition and immediately send a royal physician to check her."
"Yes your majesty."
Finished with her orders, Nem gestured for Agiel to leave and the creaking sound of the closing door made her sigh in exhaustion.
She had only been in her throne for a week, and a real issue that could shake the stability of the kingdom immediately welcomed her warmly.
"Your majesty...do you feel unwell?"
Royal Knight Zyar tentatively asked his Queen while seeing the tired look on her face. She did not even notice that he entered the room after seeing off the royal advisor.
Nem slumped down her chair without any scruples about her ungraceful self being seen by Zyar. They have already treated each other as a sworn brother and sister.
"I'm fine, do not tell royal mother about this."
She did not want her mother to worry about her. She knows that she is inexperienced in all this issues about ruling a kingdom, but she believes in herself. She believe her heart that longs for the kingdom to prosper.
"Yes your majesty does not need to worry about this, this knight understands your majesty's concerns and will follow your majesty's every order."
The serious and solemn promise from her sworn brother let out a clear burst of giggles from her lovely mouth. The crumpled frown deep in her forehead because of the bad news disappeared completely.
The trust and pure feelings of a sibling with no blood relation to her feels magical and warm.
As the sun decided to slowly go into slumber, Princess Seles walked out of her royal chamber with two of her personal palace maids. They traveled through the outer region of the royal palace before taking another route to go to the royal garden in the rear of the palace.
The surrounding place is now full of flowers and trees with only a few open pavilion present for resting and admiring the garden.
Seles walked in a more secluded open pavilion before sitting on the exquisite stools while staring at the fluttering butterflies that filled the whole garden.
The fairy-like beauty of it brought a smile on her lips.
The two personal palace maids quietly stood two meters away from the open pavilion with straight postures and sight that dare not stray.
The sound of gentle clacking noise from the marbled path and leather shoes disrupted the whole quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
The tall and handsome man had a smile on his face as he approached Seles and slowly took a single rose from his inner vest before giving it to Seles, earning him a smile from the beauty, and then he took his leave with a satisfied smile on his face.
The rose on Seles' hand is full of thorns and beauty, but her whole attention is on the strip of golden paper slightly showing from the furled petals.
Seles smiled and caressed the soft blood-red petal like caressing a lover.
"How beautiful and precious..."
Her chilling voice along with the gentle smile on her face dimmed the orange glow of the setting sun.
- Writer
