The Heir (TV Series 'Reign') #2

Coronation

Eliana's POV

"Eliana? Wake up." I hear.

"She fell asleep holding this.." I hear again.

"..Arius.."

"Eliana Catheline?"

I open my eyes, to Talia and Lydia who are concerned more about the letter than my darkened eyes.

"Where did you get this?" They asked.

"Narcisse..he came in to speak to me. I apologized, and he gave me the letter." I say.

Lydia lifts the sheets from my legs, before helping me sit on the bench.

"..you read it?"

"Yes. I had to know what he wanted to say to me before he died, now that I know.."

Their breaths hitched, waiting for my response.

"Narcisse didn't kill Arius. He promised him, to take care of us, for his life." Lydia softly touches my hair, curling the strands.

I glanced over to the dried flower sitting on my table, smiling.

Talia dressed me in a champagne tulle dress, with white crocheting on the top. A crystal belt around the waist, as the dress hangs around my shoulders.

"We're ready." They whisper.

~

The three of us walk down together, as the servants and maids carry decorations for Francis and Mary's Coronation.

Catherine's voice echoes around the room, as she orders to the servants to move the entertainments.

"A banquet for 1,200, a military parade all with new uniforms featuring blood red satin sashes of my own design. Now, as for entertainment, dancing elephants were proposed. I thought that was a bit excessive. We went with a golden-horned unicorn." She said.

Francis stood beside her, as she showed him her ideas.

"What? You look displeased." She adds.

"We just came through a plague that decimated the region's populace. Famine follow plague, and people are dying of starvation every day. We spent a fortune on Father's funeral. We have massive war debts from Father's campaign, much of it owed to our guests."

"Hmm, so you're saying my preparation for your coronation is in poor taste?"

"No, I'm only saying... It's not just poor taste. It's grotesque, unaffordable and shameful."

"Excellent. That's precisely the effect I was aiming for. Your coronation is not about affordability. It's about survival. Leaders from 50 countries will be here this week, staying in those pavilions. They are lions, studying our every move for signs of weakness. If we economize, if we dither about expenses in any way, we look like the wounded gazelle we truly are, begging our foes to align with our enemies, test our borders, challenge our interests. From there, it is a short slide to our severed heads riding on pikes."

"What good does it do us to pretend to be strong if it bankrupts us?" He says.

"Truly, Francis, I don't know why she's even in this conversation."

"Didn't you promise the nobles you'd muzzle her?" Mary asked.

"Muzzle?"

"That is what you told Lord Narcisse. The man controls 90% of the grain in the region. In a famine, that is not just wealth. That is power." Catherine said.

"What grain? Lord Narcisse has delivered nothing but excuses. A new one every day. I imagine he might've be more cooperative had you not murdered his son." Francis adds.