The Knight Queen

Chapitre Sept: L'Abrutissant Salon

   Ë̤S̤̈T̤̈Ë̤L̤̈L̤̈Ë̤, Rafael and their entourage spent a fortnight in Valliere before they left to go off to different duchies.

  Sometimes they stopped and camped, much to Rafael's chagrin, but, in order to pay up for it, Estelle would always spend the night with Rafael so as to assure him that there weren't any animals lingering behind the bushes. Other times she would keep him relaxed by regaling tales of her childhood or the times she went to visit Giselle when her family travelled to see their grandmother in Gael. Other times, Rafael would tell her about his childhood and how he survived a house of five girls and told him a bit about his introverted little brother.

   That way, the days and the nights became tolerable as they went duchy after duchy, opening schools and libraries for the commoners. Though they were few who had dared to mention that their Queen wore breeches, they had soon been silenced by their fellows and clamped their mouths shut as they enjoyed the ongoing festivities.

   Estelle and Rafael's trust towards each other built and became stronger––never again did Estelle question Rafael's trustworthiness. After the two months that they spent with each other, they became the best of friends and relied on each other for anything at all. Rafael even got to know that deep down, very deep down, Estelle was sarcastic, funny and caring. If someone would have told him that two months ago, he would have laughed in their face and called them insane.

   "Refute it as you might, Star, but all the sane woman scattered all round the realm find me to be charming," said Rafael proudly, smirking as he looked at Estelle scrunching her nose.

   "Until hell freezes over will I admit something like that," she proclaimed and giving him a challenging look to further mean that she meant what she was saying. After that, they lapsed into a silence only occupied by the trotting of the horses.

   "Where is our next stop?" asked Rafael, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled as they rode calmly on their horses. In response, Estelle looked up to the sky and let out a groan of frustration.

   "Clervaux," said she, letting out another groan. Rafael still did not understand why she seemed so against that duchy. She had been nothing but happy when they had visited different places thus far because of the change of scenery, however, now she seemed like she could change direction and head back to Rhône-Alpes and stay another fortnight.

   "Whatsoever is wrong with Clervaux that would make you groan like a scorned grizzly bear?" asked he and he looked at her just in time to catch the death-glare she sent his way.

   "'Tis the duché under Reginald's supervision. Reginald, oh how I loathe that man." That explained her reluctance. Rafael remembered the first time he had met Reginald; he had punched him and left him with a threat.

   Well, I can be rest assured that he would be all but delighted to receive me, he thought as he scratched the back of his head.

   "If that man spouts just one sexist thing to my face, I swear on my ancestors' graves that I will send him down to keep them company," she gritted out as she clenched her teeth. "How? How on the marvellous Realm am I supposed to spend a bloody fortnight in that man's company without strangling him?" said she, and then went on to say even more maledictions, alternating between Troyent and Nayish. To Rafael, she seemed rather cute, promising death to a man she detested, recounting all the times that he had said something ignoble to her.

   "Calm down, Estrella. Wait until he says anything horrid then assault him with words and fists as you please. We aren't even there yet," said he, bringing his horse closer to hers so as to a place a comforting hand on her forearm. She did not look at him but instead looked ahead and he could feel her arm tensing and saw her jaw ticking.