The duke stopped focusing on his pain and began to think about where he was. Okay… Let’s see what I can do… He began to slowly open his eyes. The blonde haired man didn’t lift his eyelids too quickly, because there was a bright light shining down on him through a glass window above and it was blinding. It took a while to adjust to the light, seeing as how he just needed to turn his head to the side. Looks like I can turn my head without hurting.
The sight of the room was rather familiar. The same two rows of beds lining the walls, each one having a window directly behind it, were perfectly made to accommodate any who needed to be there. Judging by the fact that he only saw three in front of him and that his head was comfortably positioned on a soft pillow, he was in the doctor’s quarters of the palace.
The memories of his and the queen’s argument came back. He sighed deeply, feeling the pain of the chest wound and the pain of depression. Kaiser always thought that he and Esmedella would never fight. The blade, however, proved how far their fighting could get them. At least she didn’t stab me in the back.
The duke heard a pair of shoes tapping on the floor at a fast rate behind him. He turned his head and saw a familiar blonde woman rushing towards him. Esmedella sat down in the chair next to the bed and was immediately about to start crying. She placed a hand on Kaiser’s head and began to stroke his short, dirty blonde hair.
He looked at the queen and saw how she had changed. Kaiser noticed that she had lost a lot of weight, since he could make out every muscle in her neck and could now see her cheek bones. Apparently, she had stopped caring about looking her best because she wore no make-up and her hair wasn’t perfectly worked. However, there were only two things that truly caught his full attention: the dark rings around her eyes and the tears stains along her slim cheeks. It was more than clear that Esmedella took the incident in her study with more than just simple guilt.
Kaiser looked at the queen, his eyes open and his mouth in a soft smile. “Hi there, Della,” he said with a weakened voice. She smiled as more tears came out. This was exactly how they greeted each other when they first met. The blonde woman responded with a choked voice. “Hiya, Kai.” The duke continued to smile and spoke again. “I have to say…. You’ve got a pretty good arm there.”
This wiped away the smile and drove Esmedella to more tears. She leaned forward and began to cry on Kaiser’s shoulder. In between sobs, she managed to choke out the same two words. “I’m sorry….. I’m sorry….” The blonde man began to shift underneath the bed and moved himself.
The queen saw this and put her hands on his shoulder. “Kaiser, don’t! You’ll hurt yourself even mo—“ But she was cut off by the voice of the general. “I’m a soldier. We’re taught to get back up after we fall. Even if our legs are cut off.” Esmedella pulled her arms back as she watched her hurt friend.
Kaiser’s body was flaring up with pain. Every little inch of his body felt as if it were on fire and had an electric current running through it. Yet he kept on moving his body into a sitting position. This determination and pain combined to cause the duke to sweat profusely as he forced his body up into a sitting position.
Once he was seated upright, the blonde woman covered her mouth. Kaiser’s upper body was exposed, but most of it was covered up with a large white bandage that was stained red in the spot he was stabbed. This only brought more pain to the queen and even more tears flowed from her eyes. She buried her face into her hands and silently continued to cry, unable to face Kaiser for what she did.
Suddenly, Esmedella felt a pair of arms around her shoulders and her head was resting on a muscular chest that was wrapped in cloth. She pulled her hands down to see that Kaiser had swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms. He whispered into her ear, “It’s okay. I don’t blame you. I’m responsible.” The blonde woman was about to push away and protest, but was stopped by the voice of the duke.
“I was so busy protecting you, I let it get in the way of our bond. I drove you to the edge and you pushed me back. I deserved it,” Kaiser said with a soft voice. He began to stroke her hair with one hand. “Let’s just forget about it and just move on,” he asked her. Esmedella smiled a bit and wrapped her arms around his waist. She responded, “I’d like that.”
*******************
Kaiser and Esmedella were in a shadowed room a few days after his awakening. It was a simple square room with flowers sitting on pedestals that were used as decorations. A pair of rich, violet shades covered the opened doorway that lead to the stone balcony that overlooked the plaza. The fabric that draped over the opening was a very thin material so it bathed the room in a purple hue as the bright afternoon sun struck them.
The guard was fully uniformed in his armor, minus the helmet, and standing next to his queen. Everyone kept the knife incident quiet, knowing that the information would be catastrophic if it were to be spread to the public. In order to make sure that no one suspected anything, the duke demanded that he be put in uniform and escort the queen to her public appearance as if nothing were wrong.
Esmedella was dressed in a simple white dress that was seemed rather plain for a queen, but very elegant when she wore it. It hugged her upper body, but became loose and flowing at the bottom. The neckline was cut in a wide v-shape to show her neck, collar, and her chest just above her breasts. Around her neck was a silver pendant that had a dark blue sapphire embedded in it and dangled from a thin, silver chain. The pendant itself wasn’t very big, being only the size of a human eye. But it was a true beauty.
Esmedella reached up and held the jewel in her hand. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, her nerves starting to get the better of her. The queen looked up at Kaiser, half of his figure bathed in light while the other was bathed in a purple shadow. She nervously said, “I’m not sure if I can do this.” The blonde haired woman lowered his head, hiding her eyes from the duke’s view.
The shifting of metal and the clanking of metal plates was heard and Esmedella felt a hand lift her head up. She looked into the eyes of the duke, which seemed so much warmer than the cold gauntlet that held her chin. “Yes, you can. Though this decision of yours will change the future of our kingdom, just know that I’m here at your side,” he said with care and honesty. With his free hand, he reached down and took Esmedella’s other hand. “I’ll always be here to take care of you. I promise,” he said with full honesty and a protective tone.
The queen smiled and then quickly hugged him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Her voice was soft, but it was loud enough for the steel clad general to hear. “Thank you,” the woman said just before Kaiser put his arms around her shoulders. They stood there for what seemed like hours, just holding each other in that hug.
The moment was broken by a loud fanfare, announcing that it was time to begin. The two pulled away from each other and stood diagonally, Esmedella directly in front of the blinds and Kaiser behind her and just to her right. The silhouettes of two servants standing next to each veil were seen by the two on the inside. The queen took a deep breath and proceeded to walk with her guard right behind her.
The veils were pulled aside when the blonde woman was close to them. The moment her foot stepped past them, her ears went numb from the cheers caused by the crowd below. It seemed as if every citizen in the city came to see her speak. In her late husband’s life, no gathering was this large. It was flattering, but it only helped to prove how important this message was to the people.
Esmedella raised her hands, instantly silencing the people. She took a deep breath and strongly said, “Good afternoon, everyone. I am glad that you were all able to make it.” This was no exaggeration. As her eyes scanned the crowd, she was able to pick out one person from every social class amidst them. There were the poor people from the slums on the outer ring of the city; the merchants, artisans, and laborers from the mid-section; and the wealthy nobles of the city’s center. However, most of the upper class was secluded within their carriages because they didn’t want to mingle with the ‘rabble’.
The queen, however, was not interested in this. There was a task that needed to be done and would be the one to do it. She took a slow, deep breath and began to speak calmly. “As you all know, these past few weeks have been rather tedious for me. I have been doing my best to govern you all justly.” A roar of applause quickly followed that. Esmedella had increased the taxes on the wealthy and used the money to support the poor. At first, there was must disdain from the nobility. However, they truly forgot about it because that only convinced the poor that they needed to work and through many chains of events, the nobility actually made a profit.
Once the cheering died down, the blonde royal spoke again. “However, I have also been dealing with countless suitors who have come to persuade me into a marriage.” She did not speak again for several seconds, since she was expecting the voices of many angry citizens. Yet, they were almost as silent as death itself. The only exception being the occasional mumbles.
Esmedella changed her position so that she stood tall and proud in her next few words. “My people, I have taken your interests to my heart and I have based my decision on those interests. In other words, I have chosen my husband. Your new king.” She looked towards Kaiser. Now that she was no longer looking towards her public, fear was in her eyes. It was just as he predicted.
The duke stepped forward. The queen stepped backwards and the blonde general took her place at the balcony. The chatter among the people exploded. Everyone had thought that the general would have been true to his word and kept his distance from the queen’s heart. However, one person cried out, “Long live, King Kaiser!” The crowd then erupted into cheers and chanting. These words rang in the duke’s ears over and over again. It almost made him WANT to be the king.
The blonde man raised his hands and, just as Esmedella did, the crowd silenced. Kaiser laid his hands on the stone railing of the balcony and began to speak. His voice was loud and boomed across the plaza as he said, “Thank you, my friends. Your approval is truly appreciated.” He raised a hand before anyone could say anything. “However, I am not your king. I am here to present your king.”
The crowd began to mumble and wouldn’t stop. If there was a time for him to reveal the king’s true identity, it was now. The duke stepped back and then to the side. He then called out, “Presenting the future king of Jaideria and commander of the Jaiderian Royal Fleet!”
From behind the violet blinds, a black silhouette was seen. The servants reached out and pulled back the cloth. A man stepped out from the room dressed in clothing comparable to that of a noble. His pants and shirt were of a burgundy color while his gloves and boots were made of shiny black leather. This stranger was also adorning glistening silver bracers on his arms, greaves on his legs, a sword on his hip, and shoulder guards that were covered by a pure black cloak that flowed behind him.
When the mystery man’s face was exposed to the sunlight, there were several gasps from the crowd. They couldn’t believe that this man would be the queen’s husband and their new king. Kaiser clenched his hand into a fist as he called out, “All Hail, King Ismandi Rezuldo!” The chestnut haired, ocean eyed man smiled and raised his hands out over the balcony. This caused just as much cheering from the people as when they thought their king was Kaiser. The duke watched the sky pirate governor and thought to himself. My God…. What have we done?
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