Something useful
Evie laughed, but her laugh wavered when he called a skinny young boy over. From what she had seen, the king did not treat his servants with much respect and she feared what the prince would say and do to this innocent boy, who looked terribly frightened.
Her eyes travelled between the two with surprise, her heartwarming when the prince offered the boy something to eat. He needed it, for sure.
She bit her lip and watched the boy walk away after being excused, joining with the other servants that at least looked a bit more plump. She looked back at the prince, once more filled with surprise and warmth as his words.
No more hunger. Peace. Cheaper taxes. It sounded like an utopia, and she knew what her father would have said had he heard this. He would have said that such a thing was not possible. Perhaps because, deep inside, he did not want it to be.
“You will be a great king.” She said, and she meant it. Carefully, she moved herself a bit closer to him. He was a handsome man and his big heart only made him all the more handsome. She would have liked to touch him, but it was not possible now.
“Every Sunday, I go to the village and visit an orphanage. And I give them some food from our farms.” Her father owned farms all over the kingdom but most of them were rather close. She had managed to convince him to let her have some of the food to distribute for free. Unfortunately, she could only give what he allowed her to give.
“Perhaps my prince would like to come with me, sometime? Incognito, of course.” Chaos would irrupt would the prince be seen.
Her eyes travelled between the two with surprise, her heartwarming when the prince offered the boy something to eat. He needed it, for sure.
She bit her lip and watched the boy walk away after being excused, joining with the other servants that at least looked a bit more plump. She looked back at the prince, once more filled with surprise and warmth as his words.
No more hunger. Peace. Cheaper taxes. It sounded like an utopia, and she knew what her father would have said had he heard this. He would have said that such a thing was not possible. Perhaps because, deep inside, he did not want it to be.
“You will be a great king.” She said, and she meant it. Carefully, she moved herself a bit closer to him. He was a handsome man and his big heart only made him all the more handsome. She would have liked to touch him, but it was not possible now.
“Every Sunday, I go to the village and visit an orphanage. And I give them some food from our farms.” Her father owned farms all over the kingdom but most of them were rather close. She had managed to convince him to let her have some of the food to distribute for free. Unfortunately, she could only give what he allowed her to give.
“Perhaps my prince would like to come with me, sometime? Incognito, of course.” Chaos would irrupt would the prince be seen.
A letter was brought to him before he had managed to find his father. A letter, with the queen’s sigil. Intrigued, Luca found an empty and relatively unused corridor where he leaned back against the wall and read the letter.
The futile attempt to buy his silence was amusing to say the least. After all, what could the queen offer him that the king could not? That he would not have, without needing to lift a single finger, once his little sister had married prince Milo and birthed his children? He would be the brother of a queen and the uncle of what would hopefully be a boy, a future king. He would want for nothing.
Besides, a Romano could not be bought.
He still made his way to his father, the letter safely tucked into the inner pocket of his robe. If anything, this letter together with those vulnerable words from previously proved that the queen was growing desperate. Luca knew that his father could make use of that.
It soon appeared that Lucian Romano had not arrived at the castle and after asking around, he got the feeling that he wasn’t intending to, either. So, he had no choice but to locate a horse and ride back to their estate.
The futile attempt to buy his silence was amusing to say the least. After all, what could the queen offer him that the king could not? That he would not have, without needing to lift a single finger, once his little sister had married prince Milo and birthed his children? He would be the brother of a queen and the uncle of what would hopefully be a boy, a future king. He would want for nothing.
Besides, a Romano could not be bought.
He still made his way to his father, the letter safely tucked into the inner pocket of his robe. If anything, this letter together with those vulnerable words from previously proved that the queen was growing desperate. Luca knew that his father could make use of that.
It soon appeared that Lucian Romano had not arrived at the castle and after asking around, he got the feeling that he wasn’t intending to, either. So, he had no choice but to locate a horse and ride back to their estate.
“Father.” He greeted with a nod of respect as he entered his father’s study, where Lucian Romano sat behind his desk, nose deep in papers. He did not look up to greet his son now acknowledge his presence.
“I have news.”
“What?”
He did not sound interested whatsoever, but Luca still stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
“The queen told me that she is unhappy with her life. She wishes for a different one. Now, she has sent me a letter to buy my silence.” He presented the letter, placing it on top of the desk right in front of his father’s nose.
“The girl lacks both charm and brain, and a functional belly. She will be ancient history soon.” Lucian said. “Let’s not bother with her.”
Luca, who had for sure thought that he was on to something, nodded slowly. “I see. And you trust that my sister had enough charm and brain to keep the king’s interest?”
“The king will be ancient history as well, soon enough.” Lucian Romano said. “We are merely biding our time.”
“May I receive her gifts then? Play along.” He couldn’t help but to wonder what the queen was willing to do, and give him, to keep his silence. There was no need for her to know that he hadn’t remained silent for long and that his father had judged the information unimportant, on the account of her being unimportant. She might not yet be aware of her faltering status. And, well, she could use a friend.
“By all means.” His father shrugged. “Perhaps you can get something useful out of her, but I highly doubt it.”
“I have news.”
“What?”
He did not sound interested whatsoever, but Luca still stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
“The queen told me that she is unhappy with her life. She wishes for a different one. Now, she has sent me a letter to buy my silence.” He presented the letter, placing it on top of the desk right in front of his father’s nose.
“The girl lacks both charm and brain, and a functional belly. She will be ancient history soon.” Lucian said. “Let’s not bother with her.”
Luca, who had for sure thought that he was on to something, nodded slowly. “I see. And you trust that my sister had enough charm and brain to keep the king’s interest?”
“The king will be ancient history as well, soon enough.” Lucian Romano said. “We are merely biding our time.”
“May I receive her gifts then? Play along.” He couldn’t help but to wonder what the queen was willing to do, and give him, to keep his silence. There was no need for her to know that he hadn’t remained silent for long and that his father had judged the information unimportant, on the account of her being unimportant. She might not yet be aware of her faltering status. And, well, she could use a friend.
“By all means.” His father shrugged. “Perhaps you can get something useful out of her, but I highly doubt it.”
