Artemis and Caspian: The Spy

Chapter Fourteen

Allister sat by his window, taking in the new morning. Being here still felt strange. These had been his father's quarters and everything in the room still reminded him of the King. In the corner, a wooden dresser stood with Tristian's rings still laid out for his return. On the desk papers written in his hand remained perfectly preserved held down by a book placed there by the old King before he left. Even an empty goblet still filled with a quarter cup of wine sat on the marble mantle above the fireplace, collecting dust along the rim. Allister didn't have it in him to move any of it. Keeping it there filled a void that had opened in a pocket of his heart, it was like Tristian was still living there, waiting to return.

Elena had tried her best to brighten up the room, treading lightly as she made small daily changes. The table that sat in front of the fireplace was always clean, decorated with a pretty white tablecloth lined with gold trim. On top, she placed a vase of flowers, cut weekly, fresh from the garden. She was trying to get them both back to a sense of normality. Allister appreciated her effort and her concern.

Then on cue, the Queen strolled into the room, placing a basket of freshly picked bluebells on the table, humming a soft tune under her breath as she replaced the flowers in the vase. Allister turned to acknowledge her and the two shared a little smile. Then the King returned to brooding. When she finished her chore, Elena dusted her hands off and joined her husband at the window. She could sense tension in the way he sat, his posture rigid under the weight of his grief. She could tell he was trying to appear positive by the way his smile flickered briefly on his lips, hidden as he took a sip from his cup. Elena knew he was pretending for her sake and the sake of his people, but his eyes gave him away. They were glazed over, staring blankly into the distance. The loss of his father was affecting him more than he wanted to admit and politically it made sense for him to move on from the past, but the young Queen knew better. Hidden beneath the steal facade of a new King establishing strength lay a broken boy, newly orphaned and dropped into an unforgiving world to figure it out by himself. He deserved moments to grieve. He was human like the rest of them.

"Thank you for all that you've done," Allister whispered, breaking their silence. "It hasn't gone unnoticed."

Elena gave him a sympathetic smile and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. She felt him wince slightly under her touch. Recoiling back to her place, the Queen silently reprimanded herself, placing her right hand methodically over the left.

"Of course," she responded, trying not to let disappointment taint the cordial tone of her voice. "You're my husband now, and I care about you."

Another dead silence lingered on as the King processed her words, chewing on his tongue as he watched nothing outside the window.

"Your comfort brings me peace," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, covering the back end of the sentence with another sip from his cup. Elena didn't know how to answer that. It brought her a sense of relief to know she was making some kind of difference, even if that difference was small and she was grateful for his willingness to try. Allister had taken the conversation on their wedding day to heart and was gradually attempting to try and come to terms with his feelings. He wasn't as short with her, more or less comfortable with her affection and had tried on several occasions to open up about his sadness. He appreciated her unwavering support. She appreciated his effort.

"It's a beautiful day," Elena said, trying to lighten the mood. "The weather is lovely outside."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Allister responded, playing along. Forcing himself back down to reality, the King blinked a few times and shot a glance over his shoulder, taking in his wife's new project. "The bluebells look nice in here."

"You think so?" Elena asked, delighted with a sense of accomplishment.

"They make the room brighter," he remarked, catching his wife's eyes. "You make the room brighter."