Favorite of the King

Chapter 5

    Yvaine rested her head in her palms and sighed. Evolet kicked her leg beneath the table. She straightened immediately, hoping none of the other ladies would say anything. Two weeks had come and gone since Yvaine and King Edmund had made their deal. She had learned a lot from the King and he promised there was still more.

    Today, Batur had brought her and Evolet to the palace. They were attending one of Queen Mira's little afternoon parties. King Hakan's wife had been ill for some time, but had recently recovered and the party was to celebrate.

    "Well, I don't think they'll come to any arrangement soon. I think King Edmund will return to Narnia and prepare for war," Queen Mira was saying. Yvaine tilted her head, curious.

    "Why do you say that?" Lady Merredin asked. She was sitting right beside the Queen, as always. Lady Merredin liked to consider herself a favorite of the Queen, although she really wasn't.

    Queen Mira let out a barking laugh. "Because he's a child and Hakan hates him! Soon enough, that boy will see the situation as hopeless. He'll go running home to his brother and sisters and complain. They'll all immediately prepare for war."

    Yvaine gritted her teeth at the remark. That's not true. King Edmund is young, but he is wise in judgement and fair in action. King Peter wouldn't have sent him otherwise.

    "Oh, I'm sorry, Lady Yvaine. I'm afraid we've said something to upset you!" Lady Merredin tittered.

    Yvaine plastered a neutral expression across her face. "You haven't."

    Lady Merredin and Queen Mira exchanged glances. The other ladies in the room coughed and giggled as well. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Dear." Queen Mira took Yvaine's hand and patted it patronizingly. "King Edmund is certainly a fine looking man."

    Yvaine's mouth dropped open in a stunned silence. She snatched her hand away from the Queen. "I'm sorry?"

    "I remember what it was like to be young and naive once too. Don't you ladies?" Merredin asked. They all nodded and continued to laugh. Yvaine's face grew warm with anger. She heard Evolet stand up behind her.

    "It's just a phase. It'll pass. That is, unless we're mistaken and there actually is something going on," Queen Mira said. "I don't know what your father would make of it, though, or my husband for that matter. A Telmarine after a Narnian? Little Yvaine has her sights set high. Such an ambitious woman." The queen's eyes narrowed. "Your mother was ambitious too and look where it got her."

    She was dying to let the words out of her mouth, but refused to give in. Yvaine just stood there, watching them, silently fuming. A hand fell on her shoulder. "Excuse us, Ladies. I think I need some air and Yvaine will come with me," she vaguely heard Evolet say. Ev steered her out of the room.

    As soon as they were safely in a deserted hall, Yvaine let out a smothered cry of exasperation. "This is why I hate coming to these things. They always say horrible things like that. It's like they have nothing better to do than make fun of me and talk ill about my mother!"

    Evolet sighed and linked her arm with Yvaine's. "I know. I wish you didn't have to come. At least you didn't yell at Queen Mira, though. That would've made things worse."

    "I wish I would've," Yvaine muttered. "I don't see why they all think like that, anyway. What have I done to insinuate any of that?" Evolet looked at her incredulously. "Hey, our meetings are purely educational, and they don't even know about them!"

    "They've seen you at the festivities though. You have been spending a little more time together than you were at first."

    Yvaine rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Why can't they just mind their own business?"