Tiger Wings

Chapter 4

"Why did you tell her?" the queen confronted the king. It was after dinner and she had helped her daughters wind down from the evening before she started this conversation. It provided her with the chance she needed to observe. They all seemed to have healthy attitudes, even Eloanna, who apparently was not impressed with Tain's youngest. The queen was glad for that. It brought her down from those pink clouds full of flowers and hearts.

But she was far from pleased by the conduct of miss crown princess. When everyone was preparing to retire, Claretta was the only one who lacked a story to tell. She had also lacked smiles all night. The queen knew that if there was a reason for this it would be found with the king. He was at the root of almost anything that had to do with the oldest child. Hylla had repeatedly tried to change that, but nothing she had done so far had produced any fruit.

Now she had returned to prepare her own retirement, and asked the king about the evening. In his mind it had been perfect. Further investigation on the part of the queen revealed that Gideon had, indeed, before dinner, informed Claretta of his plan. Hylla could not hide or change her feelings about that.

"It is necessary she knows," the king answered. His lazy position in a chair by the empty fireplace showed that he was either exhausted or uncomfortable with the queen's questionings. Often he would pretend it did not matter to him if she disapproved of an action, but always he secretly preferred to have her support.

"Why?" the queen exclaimed. "Why is it necessary that she knows? You don't plan for her to be the one to marry."

"Exactly. But this is business of the king. It's business she must learn to conduct. And she is among them. She can guide them. She knows what I expect, and she knows what to expect. Oh, Hylla, it's perfect all around," he grumbled. It was a sure sign of discomfort when he called the queen by name. There had been more than one time when the king had difficulty explaining his logic to the queen. Then he would retreat into himself, assuring her he knew what he was doing.

Hylla was not as convinced. She glowered behind him, brushing her hair at the same time. "Sometimes I think you act like she's the queen," she declared.

"Politically she may as well be," Gideon threw back over his shoulder. He could glare if she could.

"Well! I'm sorry I embarrass you so, politically," Hylla sniffed, turning away. "I don't know what I could have been doing for twenty-six years, allowing my political importance to fade away. It couldn't have been trying to raise ten girls. No, it couldn't have been, because there were only nine. The other you turned into a boy."

"Oh, nonsense." He scowled at the fireplace. "She's a fine woman. You taught her the important things. If I'd wanted to turn her into a boy, she'd be wearing breeches and hunting off a horse. Not all puffed up in those dresses, sewing in a little circle."

Hylla laughed as loudly as a lady could be allowed. "As if she knows what to do with a needle! She would, but she was too busy learning how even slight changes in the sky could lead to a shortage or excess of grain, which could change the country's market so far to be dire. A woman's only care for the market should be how much food would feed her family."

"She's not the kind of woman who wants a family," Gideon said as if any woman who wanted a family was dim witted.

"Have you asked her?"

"Of course not! We don't waste time talking about things that are unimportant."

The queen was almost shocked into silence. "Unimportant! Gideon, we have a family. Is our family unimportant?"

"Of course not," he repeated. "I only mean she knows better, that her life is better, than dreaming about how many children she could want. Of course they'll be one. At least. She needs an heir."