The Knight Queen

Chapitre Dix: Le Besoin de Partir

 The Queen and her retinue left Clervaux the following day as advised by the Duke. Their next destination was Loire, the duchy under Alain's supervision.

Now that she could think about it, the last time she had spoken to him was almost five months ago at Rafael's welcoming Ball – that is, other than the missive that Napoleon had dispatched on her behest, informing him that he should be expecting her at his manor.

However, she could not help her mind from dwelling on how she would be received by the people of Loire.

"What is on your mind?" asked Rafael, bringing his horse closer to hers. Estelle blinked, bringing her mind back to the present and out of her musings.

"Nothing of great import, be rest assured," she answered, kicking the horse's hip and hastening along. Rafael did the same and followed on her tail.

Even from as far as the both of them were, they could hear a ruckus close to the boundaries of Loire. Estelle could feel a sense of foreboding wash over her as they neared and the noise increased in its volume.

"There they are!" a gruff, male voice shouted, pointing an outstretched hand to the Queen and her retinue as they rounded the corner, entering the city square.

And the sight that Estelle was met with, sent her emotions into an indeterminable tumult.

People were everywhere: from the stalls to the cobblestone pavements, to the meadow beside the main road; it was a sea of people – commoners, to be exact.

And in hand, they held pitchforks, torches, axes, and all kinds of paraphernalia that an angry mob always had. The men and lady's eyes surveyed the mob blocking their path in a mix of astonishment and fear.

Rafael could see the emotions flitting past Estelle's eyes; they did not bode well for her people, that he was sure of. He saw her eyes changing from stale grey, to a steely shade and now, it looked almost silver. Then, it all stopped, and one expression settled in her eyes: an eerie calm that sent shivers down Rafael's spine.

Dropping her reins, Estelle exhaled and jumped off her mare in one deft move. Slowly, with determined steps, she walked towards the crowd and stopped once she reached the place where the cobblestone began, just a few feet away from where the mob was standing and she crossed her hands on her torso.

Rafael jumped down from his horse as well and followed after her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he leaned down to ear level to say in her ear:

"What on earth are you doing?" In response, Estelle just gave him a side-glance that promised nothing on the positive side.

"Qu'est-ce que cela veut dire?" asked she, her tone levelled but a wave of low-lying anger in the depths of it that only Rafael could sense.

"Alain est innocent!" the crowd yelled. Estelle's right index finger tapped on her arm and she inhaled then exhaled.

"I quite appreciate it when I ask a question, I am answered directly. What. Is. The. Meaning. Of this?" she asked once more, her tone rising just a few decibels.

"Alain is not guilty and this is a demonstration!" another person from behind the crowd answered.

"And who, pray tell," she began, her tone still the said eerie calm, "proclaimed him guilty? Did you hear The Crown declaring him guilty and that we are shipping him off to Nayern on the first ship we shall get?" A silence fell in the city square; it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. From the distance, they could hear the sound of horse hooves pounding on the cobblestone. 

Up ahead, Alain emerged atop his horse, a look of bewilderment settled on his countenance as his eyes took in what was happening and he spotted a poster that explained it all. Quickly, he unmounted from his horse and went up to Estelle and bowed.