Queen by accident

Sixth part - the wife

  The minister leaves the royal residence in a hurry, making it for his carriage and ordering his coachman to take him to the chancellor's house.

  It is moment as good as any other to see how the old royal bulldog is spending this morning. We can find him wondering around on the Valeria Street. He stops and glares through the windows of a jewellery store. The owner and two of his employees are preparing the shop for opening, putting things in order and cleaning around. The owner's eyes meet those of chancellor's and he rushes to the door, while inviting the old politician inside with his left hand:

  -Good morning, Mr. Bruchnof! Don't wait in the cold, please come inside! Let me prepare you a drink. Tea or coffee?

  The owner's name is Rudolf Mek. He's a tall, yet slim and old man, almost in his seventies. His usually cold face and angry eyes are now lightened up with joy at the sight of one his oldest and most loyal customers. He invites the chancellor in a small room in the back of the store – his office. In this small, yet well decorated round room. The chancellor takes a seat in one of the three armchairs while his host is boiling some water on a stove.

  -I heard things are going to change at the royal court... My condolences for your loss, chancellor... I know how close you were to the king.

  -Thank you, Rudolf! I started thinking about retirement, you know?

  -Retirement? You? It is difficult to imagine the court or the government without you... What will the kingdom do? What about the princess? And who's going to keep the Senate in check?

  -I am too old. She's a young spirit. Maybe I'll stick around for two more years to help her learn how to navigate the corridors of power. I fear the world is moving too fast for an old elephant like me... Change is only natural. A new chancellor, new ministers, new people, new faces... the country needs those. I don't plan on living forever.

  -I doubt the princess will accept your resignation...

  -She's young, arrogant and impatient...

  -Her father's daughter from what can I see.

  -She'll be more than happy when I'm gone.

  -How do you know that?

  -After a certain age you simply feel it. Excuse me if I cut your enthusiasm, I'm in no mood to talk about politics. Better ask Senator Kolyman.

  -Senator Kolyman can't compare to you. Maybe if you'd be deaf and blind, missing your both hands a leg and Sobu would be so kind to make him one thousand times more intelligent than he's now.

  -I came for the necklace. I told you about my intention to retire because I want to spend some time with my grandchildren. Matilda and I are going to retreat to Muvnar Estate, on the seaside of the Sea of Onur.

  -Such a lovely way to spend your last years! Indeed, nothing can compare with having you children and grandchildren beside you... The necklace! Yes! Just a moment! Here it is! I do hope your wife will find it magnificent at least.

  -She certainly will.

  -It is made of sixty-one diamonds, sixty of them are of similar size and the most important one is this.

  -Oh, yes! The red one is truly impressive. Did the author manage to stay within the initial price or...?

  -Everything was covered by the initial price. We even had to add ten additional diamonds! Six hundred and fifty pedirs are a colossal amount of money, Mr. Bruchnof.

  -We are celebrating forty years of marriage today. What my dear Matilda means to me cannot be expressed in words. I was never an ideal husband, but she was always the ideal wife: understandable, calm, loyal and kind.

  -Let me find the box. No jewel is complete without a proper box, that's what I always say.

  The chancellor soon leaves behind the jewellery store and arrives home. He is surprised to find Minister Mavrenkov waiting for him in his own saloon.

  -Good morning, Vasyli! Have you decided to give our princess more time to sleep?

  -Not at all, Otto. She made me leave the royal mansion early. It is intolerable!

  -Really, Count Mavrenkov! If a prince would've done the same you would've just said "Oh boys, they are so impulsive! We should give him so space.". I heard the High Priest came to arrest her just for standing by her father's side when the poor king perished. This is scandalous! I hope he won't have the courage to show up at the New Year Ceremony.

  -Why, dear?

  -Because if that rat has no shame, I'll make sure he won't set foot in this city ever again. What he did is scandalous! Otto, you should remove him from office!

  -Tillie, please! The Cult of Sobu has its own council that will decide if the High Priest has done something wrong...

  -The council will turn a blind eye, but I'm not going to do the same. I wrote to Countess Baraghina. She wrote me back some five hours ago. The Cult of Sobu will have to look for other suppliers of wine.

  -What? Both men ask at the same time.

  -I couldn't find my rest the entire night. I wrote to Countess Baraghina, Duchess Beldavi, Baroness Oldwood and a few others. They wrote me back...

  -When did this even happen? I came home last night at one o'clock!

  -My dear Otto, we both have our friends inside the royal mansion. I spoke in person with Madame Negur. All the ladies of the high society are scandalized by what the High Priest did. She told me she'll press her son to arrest him and the priests that entered with him.

  -Hold on... In order to have him arrested, the militia would need a special approval from the Senate. In order to call the Senate now, during this period full of holydays, the government or the Crown would have to summon a special session...

  -Otto, you are the chancellor, the head of the government, Minister Mavrenkov is here. I already told him what I want and he agreed to back me. Madame Negur's son is the minister for the interior. A letter arrived this morning from Minister Abareto in which he informed me of his utmost disgust regarding what the High Priest did and he assured me of his complete support. The Minister of Finances, Duke Valerio Prascani is yet to answer.

  -In this case, Tillie, I bring you two gifts: my support in calling the Senate and this jewel to celebrate our fortieth anniversary.

  -Otto, it's magnificent! I worried you would forget about it with all the fuss of yesterday...

  -I could never forget the most important day of my life.

  While the chancellor hugs his wife, we could take a look at Madame Matilda Bruchnof herself. She's one foot taller than her husband, far from fat, yet not at all what you could call feeble. Her red hair is almost always falling on her shoulders. The face is pretty, despite her being fifty-four years old, marked by a small nose and kind green eyes. After a few moments of silence, she tells her husband:

  -I got so carried away that I forgot Minister Mavrenkov's reason for visiting us.

  The minister tells them the story of his visit this morning. Both the chancellor and his wife listen closely. The minister finally concludes:

  -Maybe I overreacted, indeed. Still we have a problem. Someone has to meet with the Fonarian ambassador, the imperial consul and the orcish delegation today.