Arya

Soldiers

✿Reign

Its been a week since Oliver return with his parents to have a discussion in the headquarters. It was only the four of us.

"She managed to cough up the gall to hand over her crown to Elizabeth. A bastard, a Protestant no less, and not my son's wife!" Louis raised his voice at me when he said, wife. "Are you even pregnant yet?" He walked towards me with his hands in fists. "Could you possibly be any less use to Cumbeachaux?"

"Do not talk to my wife that way." Oliver raised his voice, "she's a queen and an ally."

"She was supposed to get me Port Bay!" He yelled at Oliver. "We've been with this ally for her pointless life. And what have we gotten? A train on our treasure and some troops and an endless parade of dramas and," he looked at me as if I were nothing and spit, "headaches."

I raised my voice at him, "Avallon protects Cumbeachaux by engaging the Portlands on two fronts so it cannot focus its force on growing its foothold on your backyard."

"I dont need a lecture from you on geography." Louis stood at a distance, looking at me with hatred.

"Avallon cannot blunt the Portland threat alone, Your Grace." I raised my voice, "especially not now!"

"Yes, I've heard all about it. You need reinforcements. Just like always."

"No, not just like always. I am under siege. There are soldiers at my gates! All due to you sending a man claiming to have been with me!"

"And now you're afraid you might die? Don't we owe it to Cumbeachaux and Avallon as rulers, to ask if that might be a good thing? You can't handle the job your mother left you." He yelled at me. "Or else you wouldn't be under siege!"

"Father, stop this." Oliver intervened. "Arya's crown is at stake, which puts Cumbeachaux at risk as well."

"More than her crown is at stake. You have failed us completely. And now they want your head on a pike." Louis stood in front of me.

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"Arya, i should never have let my father..."

"Words dont bother me." I continued to write.

"You are safe in this castle. Not even my mother..."

"Threats from your father don't bother me either." I grabbed more ink. "Something like Victor bothers me. Losing bothers me."

"Arya that's silly. Your a..."

"A queen? Yes, I am. But one with a scant power because of what your father did. And less every day now that the word is spreading. On the other hand, I'm also a queen because I am a Thompson. I have very powerful uncles."

"I hope you're not thinking..."

"My uncles are surrounded on all sides. Protestants are burning and pillaging catholic churches. Why would they stop their campaign of destruction before making sure I lose my crown?"

"Ever since you and I got married you've chosen to keep your distance from them. Your uncle is a dangerously ambitious man, who has built himself an army by stealing recruits from their mothers."

"And paying them well. Do you know anyone else with an army as large or as loyal?" I looked up at him.

"Loyal to him. And to him only. Ks that someone that you can trust?"

"I am with child and he is my uncle. If that doesn't buy me his loyalty...well..." I continued to write. "Trust is a luxury I can no longer afford."