My adored queen

19

When the meeting ended (after a few hours), I was ready to give away what I had inherited, just to go home to Alvin and live my former carefree life again. But I had no right to give up now, when I had just begun my journey. Besides, no one promised it would be easy.

I tried to stand upright, although my numb legs insisted I shouldn't rush. The advisors slowly left the hall, exchanging their dissatisfaction. You see, they didn't like that I didn't inherit the memory and knowledge of the deceased monarch. Am I a necromancer to bring back the dead? Some support of the kingdom!

I was angry. At them, at myself, at my uncle... I felt like a lemon that had been squeezed dry. And I had no idea how to get them back. By the way, about juices! To hell with the figure! To hell with everything! I would eat a mammoth right now, and not necessarily roasted. Although what am I saying? Where will they find me a mammoth? If I'm going to eat someone, it might as well be the queen dowager, who at that moment, after talking to her son, came to me. Alas, I'm not a vampire or a cannibal!

"Your Highness, may I..." Aunt Clarissa probably wanted to talk about something, but I had no strength for that. But what can you do? I nodded, trying to focus on the ringing female voice. Surely she's going to ask to leave Robert in the palace? No, I definitely won't allow that. "Annie, my dear niece, my beautiful princess," she chirped like a nightingale, "I ask for your permission to stay in the capital. Robert is leaving, I won't bother you. I still have so many unfinished things. You know, I started building a charity foundation with the permission of His Majesty the late king. A lot of work has already been done there, but there is still much to be done. If you allow me to stay in the palace and control the process, I will be immensely grateful. And when we open the foundation with the mercy of the Almighty, I will go wherever you say."

Hmm... On the one hand, Clarissa's presence is not for good, but on the other hand, I'm not very popular anyway, and if I drive away the queen dowager, I'll make enemies of her allies. And if milady is planning something, it will be easier to notice if she's in front of my eyes. Well, it's decided!

"Of course, you can stay. The palace is your home too."

"Thank you immensely," she smiled and, after a slight curtsy, slowly walked to the door, one of the last to disappear into the corridor. Fortunately, after a moment, no one was left in the hall except me, my father, Uncle Henry, and the cardinal. I tried to stand on my feet this time to stretch them, but it wasn't easy.

"It was a failure," I shared my thoughts, breaking the oppressive silence.

"It was just the beginning. When we are born, we can't even walk. Consider that you were born," Mastermal said wisely, illuminating our gloomy present with a metaphor, like a ray of sunshine.

"And therefore, from today you will learn to take your steps," my uncle added.

"And we will rule the kingdom while you study the affairs. Do you trust me?" my father confidently approached me, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. "Don't worry about anything. Leave Lantonia to me, I'll take care of everything. And you will slowly start learning. I will order the best teacher from the capital's academy to take you through a course in diplomacy and politics. You will learn basic self-defense. You will read books, textbooks, reports, review documents. Nothing is easy, but you will manage. You will learn from scratch everything that a queen should know, and it doesn't matter how long it takes. I'm with you, I'll take on the burden of power..."

To be honest, instead of relief, I felt something strange, like mixed feelings of gratitude and fear. My father has changed in these few days. That is, he hasn't changed, but has become even more majestic and resolute. As someone who has been the husband of a princess of blood for twenty-one years, he should have gotten used to power, but my coronation opened up even brighter prospects for him. At the same time, I sincerely loved my father and knew that he cared about me. I really have to learn everything from scratch, and who can I leave Lantonia to if not my father? He will take care of it, and when the time comes, he will give me the throne.

"Duke Wilson, have you forgotten that a twenty-year-old queen doesn't need a regent? Annie should learn while holding the reins of power. She is the heir," the cardinal clearly didn't want anyone else to take power. But he is a cardinal – the main spiritual figure of the kingdom. He already has his finger on the pulse of Lantonia's events, and I really can't rule immediately: I trust my father, he knows me and cares about me.

"Your Eminence, I am the queen's father, and therefore it is my duty to help my daughter. Annie has no experience, she doesn't know the basics, and the advisors are hostile. We must calm them down so that a rebellion doesn't break out! Do you think Clarissa wanted to stay for no reason?" my father's words almost overwhelmed me with a wave of panic. Rebellion? REBELLION? And what will I do with a rebellion? I don't want to run away, I don't want my reign to end without even starting. My father knows what to do. He will protect me!

"I absolutely agree with Philip! Annie is in danger, and she is not only our hope, but also our daughter and niece. Who, if not us, should protect her? This is our era. When the princess learns everything she needs to know, we will give her her throne, and we will continue to be by her side. We will all swear allegiance to our queen," Uncle Henry declared confidently, lightly placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I do not claim the crown or the title of regent, Your Eminence. I don't care about power! Annie will always be our queen, and I, as her father, will help her with her duties until she can lead the kingdom herself. Does she have another father to do these things? Therefore, Your Eminence, with all due respect, be more respectful. I am trying to protect the princess, and you also want to do this, so let's not quarrel," my father concluded the conversation, and all my doubts were finally dispelled. He is my father! How could I have thought that he changed for the sake of power?! Shame on you, Annie! Very shameful!

"Well, in that case, I wish you success. Annie, I'm returning to my palace. From now on, the kingdom is in your relatives' hands," the cardinal's phrase cut through my heart, and his loud, receding footsteps stuck firmly in my memory.

"We'll manage without you, as if someone knows better than me what my child needs!" my father muttered under his breath, hugging me tightly. "Don't worry, honey. We'll manage. Daddy is with you..."

Daddy is with me. He always repeated this phrase when I was little and afraid of something. Thunderstorms. Spiders. Darkness. Heights. Getting hurt. Most of my fears I couldn't overcome, but I could afford fears. My parents were always there to save me. However, for some reason, it seemed to me that things were different now. I felt bad. The last thing I wanted was to lose the cardinal's support. That is, I didn't want to at all. And my father's words made me feel weak... like a child. I didn't want to be treated like that. But I understood parental love and couldn't object so as not to offend them. Who can be more important and dear than family? Of course, I should always defend their interests and listen to their opinions.

"Do what you think is right, and I will study diligently," I promised, hiding in my father's arms. Our idyll was disturbed by the arrival of my mother. Or rather, her flight. Because the duchess flew into the hall on the wings of happiness, and a golden trail of this joy, radiating from her beautiful sapphire eyes, from her bright smile, and visible in every, even involuntary, gesture, trailed behind her.

"Annie, how could you hide this from me? You should have woken me up at night and told me right away!" attracting everyone's attention, Princess Ileria approached lightning fast, deftly maneuvering between the chairs and benches for the advisors. "Philip, and you, Henry, you have no idea what happened!" she exclaimed, and I was even more amazed and surprised myself: how much more can I be amazed? Lately, that's all I've been doing! And yet, it wasn't easy to guess what my mother was talking about. Fortunately, she gave in first and revealed the secret: "Gilbert Dillian has arrived in the capital! I met him by chance, and he told me that he arrived yesterday. Annie met him and invited him to stay, and he agreed, and you know what? He wants to be the queen's advisor! He wants to stay in the palace for my daughter! Annie, this is a brilliant match, I hope you understand? And the queen needs a king. Such a king will make you stronger!"

"Oh, Mom, come on!" I barely managed to insert a remark into my mother's endless stream of words, guessing where this conversation was going. "The man only arrived last night, and you're already talking about marriage! And I'm not even crowned yet..."

"All this is a matter of time! We must think about the future!" the duchess chirped.

"I absolutely agree with your mother," my father added, already calculating all the benefits of such a luxurious union.

"It's all clear with you!" I scoffed in disappointment. How could I be so naive when I thought that the last word would be mine? "Uncle bequeathed me to find my love!"

"And that's absolutely right," my mother oriented herself. "No one is forcing you to get married tomorrow. Take a closer look, get to know the young man better. I'm sure you will love him! Who else can you love if not such a smart and handsome, and noble man? If I were unmarried and younger, I would never give him to you!" my dear joked, as always, turning the tension in the atmosphere into lightness. She knew how to do that. Since childhood, I have admired my mother. Her kindness, unfading optimism and majesty, her ability to find compromises, but at the same time achieve her goals. And so, even now, I looked at her as if she were a living goddess, ready to bring the heavens to her feet. "And if you don't succeed, so be it. You're the queen, we just want what's best. Right, father?"

My father nodded briskly, smiling cheerfully. And I couldn't help but smile too, thinking about how lucky I was with my family.