The Queen and her Ploughman

Part 1

 Greens blended with blues and whites and browns as Libuše twirled and twirled and twirled. Her feet were light against dew covered grass, her shoes having been set aside in exchange for the comfort of bare feet. She laughed, feeling her feet slip against the muddy ground and fell. Premysl, her dancing partner, was pulled down along with her.

She spun him over, pinning him down in a mockery of real fighting. He let her.

"Oh, Libuše," he said, letting his head rest back in the grass. He was handsome in a very basic way, Libuše thought. With a long nose and a wide jaw and big eyes set deep in his head. "Why won't you let me take you away from here?"

"You know why!" Libuše laughed, but her voice in more scolding now than playful. "I want nothing more than to run away with you. But father has named me heir and I won't be disloyal."

"Both Kazi and Teta would make excellent rulers," he said, sitting up suddenly. She tumbled off him, landing in the grass with a soft oof. "Let one of them."

"Premysl," Libuše warned, trying to soften her voice. "Please don't make this my fault."

"I struggle to see how it's not."

"Premysl,"

"Fine," he conceded, then flopped back down into the cold grass. The sun was nearly touching the earth now, heavy and low in a grey sky. Rain would come before long. She'd been saying that all day, but she doubted any of the wives would have brought their laundry in. Libuše rolled of him, soaking her dress through with water and mud. She curled against him, resting her head against his arm.

"Tell me about where we would go," she said, "if I could run away with you."

Premysl turned his gaze towards the sky. He looked vacant, thoughtful.

"There is a patch of land by the River Vltava, near where I must return to." he began slowly, his breath just quiet enough that she had to lean in to hear it. "It is wide and green and fertile. I would build you a house with a place for fire, and we would grow gardens of cabbage and potato and barley and wheat and onion. We could get fish from the river, and eggs from a small flock of chickens we would keep." He paused, taking a long breath before turning towards her. "And every evening we could dance and dance and dance without any obligation. In the morning we could do our chores slowly, and at night we could lay together. We'd go to a priest in the nearest village who would marry us, and start a family all our own."

"It sounds lovely," she sighed.

"It's within our reach, Libuše," he said. "Just say the word. Say the word and I'll take you away."

She stared at him, hoping to absorb every detail and line in his face, every freckle and mole and scar, every emotion behind his eyes.

"But I'm to be Queen," she said slowly. "And after father's passing, I can't just leave my seat as Judge."

"What would you rather have," Přemysl said slowly, reaching a hand out to take hers. "A dozen servants you don't know doting on you, the stress of an entire kingdom relying on you, the crown on your head - or me? Or love, Libuše?"

"That's the thing," Libuše said sadly. "I want both. The crown bestowed upon me is not a burden. I am ecstatic to have been chosen. And I love you with all of my heart, but this is my future."

He sighed again, and likely would have spoken, if not for the crack of thunder that split the air, the splattering of warm drops that broke from the sky, soaking them in mere moments. Přemysl gasped at the first wet assault, then laughed.

"I shall return you to your castle then, Princess. And then I shall return to my village."

"Thank you, Ploughman," she said, dipping her head. Přemysl was here on business - trading his harvest with locals for salt and tools. He lived far more east than she did, and though it had been a short relationship - of barely a month, if that - she had already decided to swear off any other man.

He pulled her to her feet, and they both shook grass and moss and twigs from their clothes and hair. Přemysl whistled, and a stunning white horse came out from where it had been grazing on sweet grass. Followed shortly by a stouter, shaggy looking dun.

Libuše reached her hand up to greet the wet horse as it approached, letting it nuzzle against her.

"I'll ride with you until the town," Přemysl promise. They both hauled themselves up, turning their horses westward and spurring them into movement. They weren't far from the edge of town here, and it wasn't long before they were seeing the warm grey smoke rising from buildings. Women were dashing in and out, collecting previously dry clothing.

"That Libuše! She'd warned us, hadn't she?"

"Why doesn't any man ever want to listen to her."

"This is the third time this week she's predicted the weather."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was a prophet."

"Well, you know what they say about Teta."

"And Kazi, too. I wouldn't be surprised."

Curious, Libuše dismounted from the white mare and stared into the small town. She glanced back at Přemysl, who was primed to leave but hesitating. When he saw the inventive glaze to her eyes, he dismounted as well.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Přemysl, I have an idea," she declared, reaching out suddenly and grabbing his arms. He started a bit at the movement.

"What is it?"

"Build me that house!" she declared, "On that beautiful patch of land by the Vltava."

"Are you going to come away with me?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "But I'm going to take the entirety of my kingdom to you."

"Libuše-"

"Just trust me, Přemysl," she begged, leaning into him. "I have an idea, but nobody must know of it, not even you, for it to work. And they must not see me with you!"

Suddenly fearful that a woman from the town might catch sight of him and her together, she shoved him back behind her horse. "Go," she ordered. "Ride. Fast, go home, and build me a house! And don't stop until it is built!"

"Libuše-"

"I said go!"