THE BLOOD ROYALS Book 2: Long Live The Queen!

Chapter Four: Alliances

Carperia
Prince Relian's POV
"Your Highness." I snapped out of my thoughts to look at Stephen. He looks concerned. The severe frown on my face suddenly faded. "Is everything all right?"

No it's not.

I didn't want to come back to Carperia but it's September and every September, on the last week of the month, Carperia has a festival that blends the commoners and nobility. It's meant to balance the capital but really, who are they fooling? They will never balance anything. Destitution and affluence are two different words that will never have common ground. Sadly that is how Carperia is categorized. The guards are doubled and are more vigilant when the commoners stroll streets they would otherwise never he found on and the rich still hide in between their guards in the pretense of giving back. It's all a sick lie.

"Yes. Yes, everything is fine." I smiled fleetingly.

My mother insisted that I visit and fortify the subjects with my presence instead of staying in Ebrium. As part of my plans to befriend Roe, I invited him to accompany me. I want him to think and most importantly believe we are friends.

"Shall we proceed?" Stephen wasn't happy to see me with Roe. He even asked me why I invited him. It's a question that should be viewed as out of place as I outrank him in every possible way and he shouldn't question me but sometimes Stephen forgets his place. I am also not happy with him. He hasn't found Thalia's killer and I'm irritable where he's involved.

Carperia is bursting with life. There is music, there are dancers and it's a colorful explosion of fun. People from other duchies also come to this festival. I'm sure there will be a number of weddings after this day. It's like an opportunity to meet potential spouses. It goes on all night for a week. Things get highly inappropriate after dark. My first time with a girl was on one of these festivals. I was 15.

"I have grown nervous of being out in the open like this since the explosion. I also don't like loud noises." Roe informed me as we walked towards the palace gates.

"It must have been quite an ordeal."

"For the subjects, yes. Even for me I suppose. There's no training that quite prepares one to watch death unfold all around."

"I agree."

I wonder if I would have been in any way more prepared to accept Thalia's death. When is anyone ever ready to lose someone whether suddenly or with awareness of an eventual demise? When?

Roe expresses a measure of sincerity that I refuse to buy into. For anyone not looking at him as a suspect, he can sell sincerity and good intentions. He doesn't praise the crown too much but he also portrays himself to be a loyal supporter.

"Have you considered... I know it's too soon to ask this but have you considered possibly trying again?"

I stopped walking when I spotted the Duke and Duchess of Lokefar smiling at me. The Duke makes attempts to attend gatherings in Carperia. The Duchess snubs almost every invitation. She's fortunate to have come from the Chrystal Isles like Queen Mother. That is why my grandmother lets it slide. 

"Hold that thought." I patted Roe's shoulder as an assurance that we will have that conversation. He's been mentioning his daughter every other time. I think he wants me to pick her as Thalia's replacement.

It's too soon for me to even think along those lines.

"Reli." He embraced me in a hug. "My dear boy. I'm glad to see you out and about."

"You should see him playing General of the Iron Army." His wife smiled. "He looks believably tough. Tell me again, how does the King take an army that belonged to a woman and give it to a man?"