Queen Bee

City of Love

The first impression of Franse I get is the smell of dung. It hits us like a bag of sand. As my carriage strolls past the hoards of farmers working in the fields, I notice Sawney stiffen and sit closer to the window-watching intently. I stick my head out of the window and smiling at all of the waving workers. Their faces are covered in a brown substance, and I tell myself its just dirt or mud. I catch a glance of my father with is head out of his carriage window, smiling and waving diplomatically. My neck quickly tires from the strain and so I sit back into my seat. Sawney has his hand placed on the hilt of his sword. 

    "Have you ever been to Franse before?" I ask. 

    "No." He didn't sound as moody with his response, so I think we're making progress. The wagon jumps over a rock, causing my guard to jump out of his seat. 

    "Are you alright?" I say with a laugh. 

    "Listen," he pulls his mask down. "We're not in friendly territory. So please, for the love of the Earth, listen to me. If I tell you to duck, duck. If I tell you to stand still, stand still." For the first time, he looks a little scared. He sits back down.

    "Sounds good to me!" I hide the fact that now I'm nervous by looking out the window once again. This time I watch the farmers intently as well. 

    It doesn't take long to reach the gates of Franse. It also isn't hard to see them from miles away. Large, white bricks stack all around the kingdom, with only a metal large enough for a carriage to pass through on one side. Sawney pulls out rumpled papers from his pocket and leans out his window. 

    "Papiers!" A guard dressed in the traditional Frense red and white uniform yells out as we roll up to the gate. Sawney leans out the window and hands him the rumpled documents. The man scans then with his eyes and pursed lips. 

    "Avancer." He commands dully, handing the papers back. 

    "Thanks a lot." Sawney replies sarcastically as he sits back down. 

    "Frense people seem like a lot of fun." I smirk.

    "Yeah, real party animals." I catch a glimpse of his smile as he remembers to put his mask back on. 

    The Frense castle sets behind a thick forest that borders the city around it. By the time we actually pull up in front of the castle, my neck is sore from the cobblestone roads. Prince Olivier and King Jules await us at the bottom of their castle steps. His Majesty's rat-like eyes track me down and he puts on a smile. Olivier's smile makes the bile in my throat go down, especially when I see he is holding a bouquet of flowers. The horses snort, announcing our arrival. Olivier is immediately at my door, opening it and offering the flowers to me. And by offering, I mean thrusting them at my body. 

    "For you!" He says looking at the ground. 

    "Merci." I say to his surprise as he takes a step back. 

    "Come on, Boy, we haven't got all day!" Jules says, my father now by his side. Olivier sheepishly puts his hand out and I embrace it with my own, the warmth of his palm travelling down my arm. I ignore Sawney's sound of annoyance and I step out of the carriage. 

    "Welcome." I crane my neck in order to look at his castle, my mouth opens as I take in the sheer size of his home. It's a dull gray castle, the color compensated by the architectural wonderment. It's comprised of cylindrical building connected by walls that seem to touch the sky. almost every inch of wall is covered with a small window that seems to shimmer in an obsidian black. Not a single stray vine grows in any of the many crevices, not one spec of dirt seems to live there either-not even one one of the many bell tower shaped building topping the castle like large, pointy party hats. 

    "Wow." Is all I manage. 

    "Beautiful." Olivier says and I look back to him, only to realize he was looking at me. I also come to the realization that we've been holding hands this whole time. The menacing monster of a castle makes me wish I could hold on to his warm ambiance, but he soon lets go and begins walking up the stairs dismissively. I take a deep, meditative breath and follow him inside. One question haunts the back of my brain and I tell myself it can't be true. Am I, Princess Adela of Astaria- infamous Man Repulsed Princess, in love with a prince? I'm answered that question with my next invasive thought: does he even like me back?

    Unlike Olivier's visit at my home, I am not greeted with flurries of servants. Instead, I shake hands with a dull and cold inner castle, despite the broiling heat outside. My breath echoes through the empty air as Olivier takes his time leading me through a labyrinth of hallways that look exactly the same as the next. 

    "May I ask where you're taking me?" I ask, a smile forming. The prince stops suddenly and turns to face me. 

    "Uh..sunrise!" He wrings his hands together like he's nervous about something.

    "But...it's the afternoon."

    "Oui," he clears his throat, "Yes. Follow." Any English he may of learned seems to of dissipated with my arrival. Before we make it to the end of this hallway another voice chimes in. 

    "Your Highness's!" Olivier stops rigidly and turns with me to face the other person, a man who now stalks his way down to us. 

    "Princess Adela, I wanted to meet you when you arrived! I am so sorry!" The man says. He's middle aged with a thick, black beard, but his voice sounds like a young man's. 

    "You're just fine. May I inquire to whom I'm speaking with?" I instinctively inch closer to a silent Olivier as he approaches. The man bows, taking my hand and kissing it. I hate when people do that. 

    "I forget myself! I am His Majesties royal advisor, Manuel Allard. But please, call me Manuel!" 

    "It's nice to meet you, Manuel." Manuel says something quick to Olivier in Frense, and he responds sounding nonchalant. Once again, Manuel asks something, giving him a stern, fatherly look. Olivier says "Non." Manuel lets out a cackle that makes me jump.

    "This poor girl! You don't even know where your going!" 

    "It's alright! I like surprises." I feel Olivier behind me. 

    "That is good. You should know, he is taking you to where he watches the sunrise every morning!" Olivier says something in Frense, sounding slightly annoyed. 

    "Oh, well. I will leave you two alone. Au revoir!" And with that, Manuel turns and strides away. I look back at Olivier to see him looking apologetic. 

    "He is a very..interesting man." As soon as I giggle, Olivier's face relaxes and stretches into a smile. 

    "Yes." We continue on our adventure down the hallways until arriving at a set of glass doors. He opens one for me, ushering me through to a small balcony that hangs off the castle. A white marble rail encircles it with blocks attached to the very edge of the balcony to hold the railing up. Olivier takes a seat between two of the blocks and so I do the same. I stare off into the horizon, dotted with the villages and towns. A blue bird flies over a tree, probably looking for food. I listen to Olivier's breathing as it seems to slow drastically, and I find myself trying to sync our breaths. 

    "It is beautiful, even with no sunrise." He says thoughtfully. 

    "Yeah." I look at him at the same time he looks at me. His hand slowly moves up to my face, scaring a small bug away. My heart stops as my chest clenches with euphoria when I realize he's keeping his hand there, cupped around my cheek. I stare into his eyes, the ones that match the forest backdrop behind us and I wish more than anything to stay locked in this position for eternity. Nevertheless, I find myself leaning into his face, each of our breaths giving me the confidence to reach further and further until our lips are just barely touching. Then, he waits for me to make the first move. I'm scared, for I don't want to mess this up. His other hand grabs mine, and I throw caution away. Our lips are intertwined as the colors of the world collide behind us. Time stops and our moment is dyed with all the paints of a sunrise. My body parts sizzle with heat, but it feels good and I want more of it. My free hand reaches up and grasps his neck as he slowly moves his lips to the side of my face and rests there as we take a break, gasping for air. 

    "Are you sure?" He whispers into my ear, his hot breath tickling. 

    "More than ever." He starts again, working his way from my cheek back to my lips. Just then, sprinkles of water fall from the sky, daring to ruin our moment. We lock eyes and smile, our faces still combined. I comb my fingers through his dark red hair, the water sticking to it like glue. He unbuttons his thick jacket, fumbling as I take the reins and kiss around and about his lips. The rain is warm, fueling the already heated fire around us. He throws the jacket by the doors where a small part of ceiling comes off. The water forces his thin shirt to mold around body, showing off a chiseled midsection. I can't help but look down and run my finger over him as he kisses my forehead. He starts going harder as I reach the bottom of his shirt, seizing with my fists. I pull him close as it rises over his body, the heat building and my heart beating faster than it ever has before. I sling it across the balcony and take over, kissing his newly exposed skin. He grabs my head with gentle hands and pulls me down on top of him. I pull my legs off from the ledge in order to get the full experience. One hand guides me next to so we're laying side by side, kissing anywhere and everywhere. We feel around each other, like we're searching for something. His hand quickly begins to find my chest and begins creeping in through the top. My breathing hitches and I instantly go cold. 

    "I'm sorry..I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet." I go to sit up, knowing I ruined the moment. His hand reaches up, pulling me back down. 

    "We don't have to." And suddenly I'm drawn back into his warmth again. We start again, and I'm not sure we'll ever stop. 

    We may have left the balcony and gone our separate, soaking wet ways, but the feeling of perfection stays. I run through the castle, soaking wet and not sure where I'm even going. I don't even care. My whole body is buzzing and my lips, oh my lips, they taste like him. Even if I tried, I know I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about our moment-not that I'm trying to. I want to do it all again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And for the rest of my tormented life. Let it be tormented, as long as I'm with him. 

    "Excuse me, Your Highness, do you need assistance?" One of the first servants I've seen in this castle, a girl, stops in front of me. 

    "Yes," I begin to laugh, giddy with joy. "Can you show me to my room?" She eyes me suspiciously before saying "Yes, of course. Right this way, Your Highness." I once again remember that I am sopping wet, and begin to laugh again at that. I'm not sure why, but everything just seems so enjoyable. The way to my room is a blur, but we stop in front of a door just like all of the others and I think the servant girl before she leaves. I slide the door open, the silhouette of a large man making me jump out of my skin. 

    "Where have you been?" I switch on the sconce to reveal a very stern looking Sawney, in the rare form of no helmet or mask to cover his angry face. 

    "Hello, Sawney! How are you?" I grab my hair and pull it together to the stray drops of freezing cold water stop falling on my shoulders. 

    "You were gone for over and hour! I couldn't find you!" His gaze follows me as I walk around and examine my guest room. There's a single bed and the room is decently sized. A good sized bathroom opens in one corner with one of those swinging doors to divide it from the rest of the room.

    "It was fine.I was just with Olivier." His name tastes sweet in my mouth. I go into the bathroom and find a white towel to use for my hair. 

    "Doing what?"

    "None of your business!" I say, coming back into the bedroom, 

    "Why are you wet?"

    "Not that you need to know, but it was raining." He scoffs, his rigid body turning towards me. 

    "I do need to know-it's what I'm here for! Why were you outside in the rain?" I shrug. 

    "There's four walls and a roof for keeping dry, I'm sure you're aware of that?" 

    "Why so serious, I was with the prince so I was safe!" I find a bag that holds my neatly folded dresses. I think of Anna, and how she would love it here. 

    "We don't know if we can trust them yet, Your Highness. If you haven't noticed, these people are the only threat to Astaria and we are in their home." I elect to ignore his banter and pick out a nice and dry dress from the pile. 

    "I know we can trust them." I'd trust Olivier with my life. No one that warm could be as cold as Sawney is trying to make him out to be. 

    "You've seen enough of the outside of the prince to know that he's trustworthy, is that right?" As soon as the words leave his mouth I shoot him a glare, daring him to keep it up. I see him rework the conversation in his brain, a moment of uncertainty shadows his face. 

    "I'd like for you to get out, I need to change." 

    "Dinner's in fifteen. I'll be outside the door." He huffs, slamming the door shut. My brain buzzes as I pull my wet dress off my body and over my head. A surge of anger moves my muscles as I slam it on the ground. 

    "I don't have to care what he thinks. Uhh I'm Sawney, I know better than you because I'm a big, strong man who saves princesses like you on a daily basis." I imitate him, hoping to blow off some steam. It works, for the moment at least, and so I can focus on getting ready for dinner. 

    "Did you get enough to eat?" King Jules asks, having to half yell across the table over the music playing in the back. 

    "Yes, it was very good, Your Majesty. Thank you!" every time my eyes wander over to Olivier, I catch him glimpsing at me as well. I have to look away before I do something irrational. 

    "It is my please, Princess. It's not very often that we have guests!" I smile politely, my eyes once again being drawn to the prince sitting to the left of his father. That strange man, manuel, sits to his right. I slowly gaze down Olivier's body, making his face go red. He begins to have a coughing fit, and I fight back laughter. 

    "Are you alright, Son?" King Jules questions, putting his hand on his shoulder. 

    "Yes, just not feeling very well."

    "I'm afraid I'm not feeling the best, either. I think I may have fever. Would you excuse me?" My father, sitting to the right of me says, standing up. 

    "Of course, Harald. Manuel, why don't you go with him and see about some medicine?"

    "Of course, Your Majesty." Manuel bows his head and follows my father out of the room. Deep down I have a feeling I should be worrying, but another flurry of servants distract me from the thought. 

    "Adela, why don't you move chairs and sit by me!" The King stands, offering up Manuel's empty seat. 

    "Of course." I agree, even though I don't really have a choice. I sit and let him push me up to the table. 

    "I hope your father feels better. Perhaps he has gotten what plagued your mother?" 

    "Yes, perhaps."

    "Olivier, why don't you go lay down. You're not looking well either. I don't want to catch whatever is going around, do you Adela?" Jules looks at me, like he's secretly asking another question under that one. I'm not certain what he means, though, so I guess he's just being weird. 

    "I would have to agree with you." Olivier stands and says something in Frense. Then he looks at me and smiles before bowing and exiting the dining hall. I just now realize that I'm alone with Jules as he takes a long, drawn out sip of wine. It sloshes around in his mouth, making me grimace before he swallows it. 

    "Adela," he takes a deep breath and looks up, like an artist admiring his masterpiece. 

    "Yes?"

    "May I ask you a question?"

    "Of course, Your Majesty."

    "You can call me Jules."

    "Of course, thank you, Jules." A ball of bile creeps up my throat, forcing me to swallow it back down.

    "What will you do when you become a queen one day?" That's a loaded question. Of all the things he could of asked me, of course he would choose this. The real question: do I tell him the truth, or what I'm supposed to say?

    "I will rule by My Kings side." I take the safe route, saying what I've always been expected to. He chuckles, like he knows I don't really want that. 

    "Of course I know that, My Dear," He looks at me with an unreadable expression, "But what will you do?"

    "I-" my hands shake, so I fold them together, "I would do what My King expected of me, and aid him to the best of my ability."

    "What would you do if he asked you to something you knew was wrong, or would rather die than carry out?" The light in the room seems to drain as I pray for someone to come in and save me. Where's Sawney when you need him?

    "I'm...I'm not sure. I'm quite tired, I think I'll-" I stand quickly, but Jules grabs my arm, forcing me to sit. 

    "I'm sorry," he smiles sisterly, "that question was too difficult for you." His cold, pale hand slowly moves up my arm and onto my shoulder. I push back a shudder as he continues. 

    "One more question, Dear, before you leave?" I nod my head like I have a choice.

    "If you could, would you share equal power with the king and rule side by side?"

    "Yes." Before I can stop my mouth, the answer already leaves it. The wrong answer that Father always told me not to say. So of course, I say it. King Jules leans back, his grip leaving a feeling like an iron clamp around my arm. He smiles, now, more like he's satisfied with something. 

    "You may go." My chair screams against the floor as I bolt up. I bow my head quickly before speed walking out.