The Queen and her Ploughman

Part 7

 "Libuše!" Kazi called, catching her as she wandered down the grand, nearly finished hallways of the castle. "Libuše, there is dissent in the courtyard, they are calling for you!"

"What is wrong?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," she said. "But they seem agitated, and they're calling for you."

"I'll attend. Don't worry," Libuše said, switching her track from heading towards the altar and now moving to the main courtyard and entrance.

Lumber was still strewn around, mingled with bricks and mortar. The craftsmen bringing it in worked carefully around the growing throng of people, having to skirt edges to do so, which proved awkward with the large cuts of wood. That throng of people was more than a dozen large, the front of which was a young man and a young woman, and an older man. They all shouted and cheered when they spotted her, and Libuše hurried down the steps to greet them.

"What seems to be wrong, men?" she said, tilting her head and lifting her skirt. The older man shoved forward first. He was scowly and heavy looking, with pocketed skin heavy with grease and blemishes. His eyes were dark, and nearly hidden beneath the heavy lids weighing them down. She recognized him, of course, but didn't know him. And she didn't think she'd want to.

"This man here wants to run off with my daughter!" he declared, as if the very notion were blasphemous. Libuše turned her attention politely to the couple in question.

"And you?"

The young man stared back at her. "Jaroslav, my Queen," he introduced himself, bowing stiffly. "I mean no disrespect towards Mr. Ctik, I requested only his daughter's hand in marriage - and we had plans to move east more."

"I will allow no planless rapscallion to steal my girl!"

Libuše didn't bother looking back to Ctik, instead catching sight of the girl. She was young, pretty, probably naive and probably unsure of what she was doing. Jaroslav seemed like a nice boy. Ctik did not, but she couldn't say she could decide for them. That would provide a host of problems in the future.

"Can you tell them it's foolish? See into the future?" Ctik demanded, but Libuše held up a hand, silencing him.

"I will do no such thing, Ctik," she said. "Peering into personal futures would not only damage the future, but the individual."

"But-"

"What I will do is say that this matter is not a matter between men," she decided. "If you two will not come to a conclusion, then I say that this darling girl will be in charge for the moment. Dear? What is your name?"

All eyes turned. Incredulous, the riled up group took a step back. She was to be making the choice? The girl? The girl? It was not her choice to make, they were whispering. She was just the wife and daughter. Libuše took stock of the crowd through the corner of her eye, as the mouse-like girl, shrinking back against her lover found her voice.

"Evka, my Queen," she said, barely audible.

"Then I declared that the matter of this girl's' future belongs to Evka and Evka alone. You may make your choice," Libuše declared, making sure to address the confused crowd.

There was a silence, and Evka didn't seem to know what to make of the choice. She kept looking at Libuše, as if hoping she would protect her when she spoke again. "I would like very much to go with Jaroslav."

"Then it is settled. The couple shall be wed."

"My Queen!" Ctik exclaimed. "You can't-"

"I have," Libuše said, cutting him off. "And any problems can be taken up with me, personally. Now, Unlike the rest of you apparently-" she directed this at the hoard of uninvolved workers and people who had come to watch. "-I have work to attend to. A kingdom to plan."

Ctik stared at her a little long, then bowed low and fast, before spinning and retreating in defeat.

"Thank you, Queen Libuše," Jaroslav called. Libuše nodded, and watched the crowd, muttering and beginning to form the gossip that would spread like a parasite through her city.