The King is a Woman (Crepusculum)

Chapter 9: Retreat

It was a cool morning nearing autumn of 1599. She summoned the old Janro for a tea invitation. She wore a dull gold dress patterned with sun-kissed fields of golden wheat and wildflowers, with butterflies and dragonflies dancing amidst them. The dress seemed vibrant against her pale skin. Her long, flowing dark blonde hair cascaded onto her lap, adorned with gold flower jewelry. When Janro saw her, he halted in his tracks. She bore a striking resemblance to the former queen.

"Your Majesty has summoned me," Duke Janro bowed. Deep inside, he was very pleased with Kanaise's transformation. He saw that she had emerged from her trials beautifully. Yet, much remained to be done, and he was willing to assist.

"Rise, we do not want our honorable guest to be bowing for too long," Kanaise remarked sarcastically. She had always felt ill at ease with Janro, yet she acknowledged his usefulness to the Dominato clan. She gestured for the servants to fetch an extra, more comfortable chair.

"How is your health, Your Majesty?"

"Fine, until the bad air came, yet I let it come anyways," she said metaphorically. Duke Janro dismissed this and was content knowing she was of sound mind and body.

"Tell me, what is wrong do you think with this report that I have written? It is an annotation of a book 'Art of Military Tactics' by the renowned philosopher-king, Dominato III himself. Read it," Kanaise demanded.

Duke Janro humbly accepted the paper. He bowed, analyzing her work afterward. Indeed, he saw some minor revisions, yet the overall summary was on point.

"All points are correct, with one minor revision. Dominato III said that the king should first and foremost, be always equipped with military strength and have trusted advisors whom he could lay his life with. But this I tell you, such trust for a king is impossible. He must always be on guard. As a military leader, this is applicable, but in civil matters, not so," Janro said solemnly.

"Is it of truth?" Kanaise asked with a hint of skepticism.

"I am one of the dukes of the northern regions. In addition to that, I am a civil official, who also holds, nevertheless, some military prowess necessary for a duke. Moreover, as a Royal Chancellor, I dare not deceive Your Majesty. I, together with my House Leonis, vow together to be forever loyal to Your Majesty and the Dominato clan," he declared.

Kanaise's lips curved into a small smile. "Wow, you have so many titles under you. Only now did I realize," she mused aloud. The smile quickly vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating gaze. "How dare you point out my mistakes, when you yourself made a grave one. It is treason, assisting the queen's suicide. How should I punish you?"

Duke Janro remained composed, his expression impassive. "Your Majesty, it was inevitable. I did what I had to do. For the good of the throne and Your Majesty. I accept any punishment."

"Or perhaps, you did it for yourself, Duke Janro? To clear a path to the throne?"

Kanaise's eyes narrowed. "I often wonder why not you take the throne yourself, Duke Janro? Since you always care so much for it. You also always have your ways and opinions. You like going against the king's decrees. You can have the power all to yourself. Deceive me and the public. Have you never thought of that?"

Duke Janro's eyes widened. He quickly bowed. "I dare not," he replied.

"You are too serious," Kanaise laughed. "Come, Ferro, fetch some more tea for our lord guest. Any case, next question. Why not my uncles, Lord Janro? Some are still alive."

Kanaise's grandfather had a complex family tree. Nine sons and thirteen daughters, but not all survived to adulthood. Three sons died young, and four daughters were stillborn. There were also numerous bastards, victims of the main wife's ruthless methods. King Kaius, her father, was an unexpected heir. The eldest son of a maidservant, he was adopted by the queen consort. Yet, even after the queen's death, he remained a marginal figure among his half-brothers. The third prince, Arge, was the favored one, expected to ascend the throne.

And yet.

When Kaius became king, Prince Arge rebelled and was executed. The fifth prince, though alive, was mentally feeble and incapable of producing heirs. The eighth prince perished to the Icefire Scourge. The youngest, the ninth prince, was crippled and mentally unsound.

"The mass would not tolerate them," Janro explained. "Your uncle, Prince Axore, notorious for his womanizing, produced no legitimate heirs. Prince Jasir, the ninth son, is a tragic figure, incapacitated and disregarded by the public. Both are old and without viable successors. Eventually, the throne would indeed fall to you, Kanaise."

"It is not that I am the only one in line with the throne. The royal family had branches...They have some royal blood. Why would it still be me? I heard that Lord Vesper was indeed Dominato V's blood. Is that true?" Kanaise inquired.

"Your Majesty, you are the legitimate heir. Lord Vesper, while possessing blood ties to the Dominato line, is indeed just one of the minor and distant branches. The Drallion family has long prided itself on its marriage alliances with your lineage, seeking to boost their own standing through the association with royal blood. However, the purely fledged and acknowledged heir is you, the descendant of Dominato VI. Your Majesty, you possess the strongest claim to the throne. Your lineage was chosen by previous rulers and true leaders. The Diemnox gods support your bloodline—"

Kanaise let out a cold, surly laugh. "Gods, indeed..." she muttered, her gaze distant.

"And the religious leaders across all the temples in the country hold you in high regard. A female direct descendant is still preferable to a male side branch from a distant land." Duke Janro pressed on, though he paused momentarily, considering that even now, the closest male heirs in the side branches were scarce or too young to rule. The Icefire Plague drastically altered the political landscape, leaving Kanaise as the strongest candidate regardless of one's perspective.

"I have always hated you," Kanaise shifted the topic, her gaze fixed somewhere else still, yet she could catch his head on a peripheral vision. His dark brown hair was now tinged with gray. "Back then, truly I did. My consort queen mother used to adore you so much, to the point of...Well, only later did I realize that something had blossomed between you two, unbeknownst to my father, correct?" She calmly sipped her tea, a hint of bitterness lingering on her lips.

Duke Janro's face, usually with his rigid and authoritative countenance, crumpled for a fleeting moment. Kanaise saw the flicker of pain, though it was quickly masked. His shoulders flinched as if recoiling from the accusation. He looked at the monarch, who bore a striking resemblance to her mother in features but not in character. She was more like her grandfather, King Dominato XI.

"Was Kazuo your child all along? Well, who knows, I might be your child as well." She shrugged, moving her hands and signalling for Helki to pour another cup of tea.

Duke Janro's face paled. "Your Majesty! Such treason! Indeed, I have loved the late queen consort, your mother, and yet I would not dare betray the late king, His Majesty, who was more or less like a brother to me." His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

Kanaise smirked. "Oh, please, spare me the theatrics. I know better than to believe your words. But for now, let us focus on more pressing matters." She leaned forward, her eyes glinting with something sinister. Janro himself could not believe the young Kanaise had developed such a sharp edge. "I need your loyalty, Duke Janro. Absolute and unquestioning. Prove to me that your heart truly lies with the Dominato clan. Plus, I am also my mother's blood, so it is a bonus."

"Your Majesty, how else would you want me to prove my loyalty? Would you want me to commit—"

"You being dead is useless to me," Kanaise interrupted coldly.

"I would never—" Duke Janro looked down. "I would never dare to step the boundaries," he finally said, his voice low.

"You were my father's royal secretary and Kazuo's chief royal chancellor. You are now getting old, Janro. Perhaps it is about time you take some rest. Step back and allow someone else to take off some of the burdens you have carried for us for years. Let Lord Mazuya of your House Leonis take care of your burdens. After a few years, you can come back. This is how you will prove your loyalty to me," Kanaise proposed.

Duke Janro was surprisingly calm about it and did not refute her suggestion. It was not what Kanaise was expecting. Perhaps she had underestimated this old man, or perhaps he was a master of deception.

Kanaise was sittin