The Dream Oath

Chapter 3.5

The King and Queen walked arm in arm down the hallway out of the wing housing the Royal Suites. Edgar had been walking up the hall when he saw them, bowed, and fell in tow behind them. Ralse led Maria down to the public wing and opened the door next to his study.

Maria's jaw started to drop open when Ralse opened the door, but she quickly controlled her face. Her arm tightened slightly on her husbands.

The room had been originally for one of the castle stewards who managed the day to day business of the castle. But this had been completely redone. The hard, wood chair had been replaced with a more ornate, cushioned one. The simple table disappeared and in its place was a huge desk, sheaves of paper, quills, inks, and bookends waiting for their mistress to attend them.

The small bookshelf had been replaced with floor to ceiling ones. However, they were mostly empty.

"You made me a study?" Maria was incredulous. The people around her had always possessed high standards. Music, dance, sewing, etiquette, and several languages, but no one had asked her to do a man's work before. That was odd. How was she supposed to do anything as well as her late brother or Ralse who had been studying all their lives for this job?

She didn't belong here. This was not her job. The few dusty tomes were intimidating enough. Maria thought back on when reading meant lounging near a window with one of the few romances approved by her governess. The few books on the shelf were enormous volumes with titles promising fascinating subjects like crop climates and which part of a river to build bridges. She wasn't sure what macroeconomics meant, but the book with a spine the width of her hand span surely contained an explanation.

"Well?" Ralse asked like he'd given her a diamond or a new pianoforte. "Do you like it?"

"I am sure I will find it useful," Maria replied. "Thank you, My King."

"Ralse, my name is Ralse. Will you not use it?"

"Thank you," Maria hesitated a fraction of a second. "Ralse."

A quiet rattling of armor behind them proved to be Edgar shaking with laughter but doing an admirable job of holding it in. As both Ralse and Maria stared at him, he caught his breath before speaking.

"My Queen, when my overly pragmatic brother returns, I will educate him on appropriate gifts for a spouse."

"There is nothing wrong with a study," Ralse interjected before Edgar could continue. Edgar continued to stare at Ralse, trying to convey his point without offending his Queen.

"Ralse," Maria stopped the two of them before she felt even less at ease. "It was extremely thoughtful of you to create a space for me to learn how to keep the kingdom from falling apart as you tour the lands. I will not let it go to waste."

"See?" Edgar pointed out. Maria shot him a look she hoped conveyed that she did not appreciate his rudeness and would not tolerate it. He shut his mouth and straightened up immediately.

"I had hoped- Maria, I am sorry. I should have been more thoughtful of your desires. Tell me what you would like, and I will bring it back for you."

Ralse looked disappointed before returning to his King-face as she had come to think of it. Now Maria felt like the monster. Here this man was trying to do right by her, and all she could do was be intimidated by his high expectations.

This was not who she was. She always exceeded expectations. They were just different now, was all. She still had a duty to her peopleThis was the best way to serve them.

A ferocity took hold of her at that moment. It was a new feeling. Different than the pride of one's accomplishments. It was a slow-burning fury that these men thought she was either unwilling or unable to rule wisely. She found she did not have someone look down on her. Particularly not invaders who took the possibility of a life full of her accustomed activities.

"Husband," Maria resumed her cold face, refusing to let either man see her upset in the least. "I wish for nothing more than for you to bring back good news and hope for the people."

These men would give her nothing. Every book her already belonged to her. She did not need gifts from her husband. She would do a better job while he was gone than he ever did.

"Maria, you are kind with a good heart. I will bring those things back for you. But is there anything that would make you happy? Otherwise, I may bring you back something you find unappealing. That would be a waste."

"I have everything I could possibly want. Now I just want to know that the city won't starve over the next few years." The look on Ralse's face made Maria continue, "However, if you choose to be impossible and insist on something, I could use some new sheet music. Perhaps a duet if you have inclinations toward singing."

There, now who was going to be uncomfortable. Ralse looked surprised for a moment, then relaxed into a smile.

"I would love to hear you sing sometime. Do you play as well?"

"I am proficient on the harp and passable on the pianoforte."

"Then looking forward to hearing you will sustain me until my return," Ralse grinned at Maria who looked at him like he might be insane. Ralse lifted Maria's hand to his lips and held her eyes while he held it to his lips for longer than strictly necessary. Maria's ears burned in spite of herself, eternally grateful that her braids covered her ears today.

Ralse released her hand, which dropped to her side like a rock before turning on his heel and whistling to himself as he walked over to his study.