Princess Elise

Chapter 2: Problems in paradise

Chapter 2: Problems in paradise

By the time King William and Queen Lyrianna got to their chamber, Lyrianna started being anxious for not knowing what her husband have been talking about for so long with the King of beasts. 

-" So, are you going to tell me about what the two of you have been talking about, my King? And why he came so close to Elise?", asked the Queen with concern in her eyes as she placed her baby in her crib next to her side of the bed.

-" Nothing you should worry about, my dear. Go to sleep and we will talk about it in the morning.", said William trying to reassure her. She looked sceptic for a moment but eventually gave up and they changed their clothes and went to bed. William moved closer to his wife and placed her head on his chest, holding her close to his body.

***

The next morning, when they went to eat before starting their duty as King and Queen, Lyrianna asked William again. 

-" Now are you ready to tell me what was that about? Why was he so eager to speak to you last night?", she said seeming irritated by the King's silence. William sighs and tried to grumbles something.

The dinning hall is full of bright colors, just as the rest of the castle, with a long table made of glass with imitation marble, beige and grey with the same pattern for the chairs and big vases of white roses sitting in the middle of the table and carafes of wine and water.

-" I can not understand what you are saying.", stated the Queen with a hard glare towards William. " Grumbling does not suit a King such as you.", continued Lyrianna with the same hard glare. Before the King could give a proper answer, four of the servants came with the food, so William stopped what he was about to say because he doesn't want everyone to know, at least not now. As soon as the servants left, King Alpertti along with his wife and son arrived for taking lunch with William and Lyrianna before leaving for their kingdom.

-" Wonderful morning so far, isn't it?", said with a big smile on her face Aliisa  approaching Lyrianna and little Elise giving her index finger to the child and she took it with her small hand and giggled a little making everyone smile.

-" Mother, why are her hands so little?", asked little Antonni with a small frown on his face and everyone started to laugh.

-" She have just been born darling, this is why.", answered his mother, but Antonni was still frowning so Queen Aliisa shook her head giggling. They sat down at the table  and ate what the servants has brought.

When the lunch was over, Queen Lyrianna  couldn't wait for Alpertti and Aliisa to leave and for the night to fall again so she can question her husband, hopefully he will give her a proper answer this time. They said goodbye and wished each other a good day and when they got back inside, Lyrianna went with Elise to her chamber to breastfeed her before she can start her activity and King William went to the throne room to solve some matters about the harvest.

***

After solving the harvest matter and gave instructions to the farmers with how much to harvest of each vegetables and where it should be planted. The night came and William and Lyrianna went to their chamber.

-" I have no answer from you yet. Are you going to tell me or it's a secret?", asked the Queen in a stern tone.

-" You see... my Queen... our daughter is King Nathaniel's mate and I... I had to promise him that she's going to marry him...", said William lowering his head a little.

-" Fine, if your Highness considers I don't have to know just say so,but don't invent such lies. it's not suitable for a King.", retorted Lyrianna slightly irritated by her husband's secrets. She thought that they can talk about anything and there are no secrets between them.

-" I wish that was a lie, my dear...", said William full of sorrow in his tone and showing it's true on his facial expression. The Queen's expression transformed from an irritated one to a shocked and outraged one.

-" You can't be serious...How could you do such a thing to our daughter? You know what everyone says about him! You even saw him yourself! He looks like he would have no problem to kill my baby girl if she does any small mistake...!", she screamed frantically at her husband when she was cut off by him. 

-" And she won't do any 'small mistake' as you call them! She's going to be the Queen of the beasts, she's not allowed to do mistakes!", he screamed back at her for the first time since they met. She tries to say something but all she manages to do is open and close her mouth like a fish. She is totally stunned by his outburst. She never thought she will see him in such a state of rage and especially, her being the cause of it and she turned her back on him.

-" Don't be such a child! This is for the kingdom's safety and you know it. I had no other choice Lyrianna.", he said and his eyes softened a bit seeing how bad his outburst had upset his beloved wife. He tried to approach her, but she shrugged, not letting him to touch her and she turned back, facing him, and looked at him with disappointment in her eyes. 

-" She's also my daughter, I thought we are equals... you told me we are equals...", she semi whispered those words to him, still disbelieving his actions behind her back. He should have consulted her, after all, she is her mother, she gave birth to their child. He knew he messed up big time, but he also knows that he made the right decision so he won't apologize for something that he made right. He thought that if he comes next to her and place his hand on her cheek, she would lean into his touch looking for his comforting warmth and forgive him like every other time they had a small fight over a trivial problem, but this is about her daughter now we're talking about, she couldn't forgive him so easily, she can't. Lyrianna rejected his touch, turning her face in disgust, wiped her tears away and took the baby in her arms, rocking the little princess to sleep. While Lyrianna was rocking their daughter, William was waiting for her on the bed's edge to put the baby in the crib and come to sleep beside him. When the baby fell asleep, she put Elise in her crib and climbed in the bed as William expected her to do, but she turned her back at him and gave him the silent treatment. She was not showing emotion at all, she doesn't want him to see her face crying because of him and call her a child again. She's a Queen and she will act like one. He will have to crawl at her feet to be forgiven for such a horrible thing he did.

***

For the past 3 days, Lyrianna was still ignoring him. She woke up earlier, fed the baby, changed in her usual white and light yellow dress and some comfy shoes matching it, then got to the kitchen and instructed the chef the menu for the day and while she waited for her lunch to be served, she wrote a letter inviting  Queen Aliisa and Queen Lilly of Sweden for a small tea party like the old days.

-" Good morning my dear!", said William trying to kiss her forehead, but she retreated and replied coldly, not even looking at him.

-" Good morning, your Highness!" She just kept writing her letters. Of course he was hurt by her cold attitude, after all, she is still his wife and he loves her, but he doesn't want the servants and maids to see that he's hurting like a common teenager and make a fuss out of this situation, he's also a King and that wouldn't feel right. So he played it cool and hid his emotions, displaying a fake smile for the appearance and asked her further,

-" What are those letters for?", pointing to her letters on the table. Meanwhile, the servants came with their lunch.

-" Oh, those?" , replied the Queen with an innocent smile on. " Nothing your Highness should worry about. I am just going to invite Queen Aliisa and Queen Lilly for a tea party.", and when she finished, he looked at her like she grew a second head. It's not like her to do something without talking to him first. But then he remembered that he betrothed their daughter without her knowledge, so he decided to remain silent and don't make a big deal out of it and just nodded in acknowledgement to Lyrianna and they started eating. Then William went to discuss with the treasurer while the Queen sent her letters thru pigeons to Aliisa and Lilly as this is a more faster way to reach them, and more private as they will be unsealed and read only by the consignee and only him/ her. 

After sending the letters, she left Elise with one of her trusted maids and she took one of the knights with her so she can get out for a ride with Alexander, her favorite black and white horse from the royal stables. It has a long and shiny main and tail, it's tail reaching the ground.

-" Your Majesty! I've been assigned to accompany you.", said the young knight bowing politely. 

-" Thank you, but I haven't seen you before. Are you new?", the Queen was confused because he was too young. He looked twenty, but his age wouldn't be the problem. The problem was that she shouldn't have had assigned an inexperienced knight along her rides thru the forest. 

-" Yes, my Queen! But I can assure you that I am more than capable to protect you!", he said, still looking in the ground. For the Queen, he looked suspicious so she's gonna keep an eye on him for the rest of the day. Good for her that she has her hidden d.aggers with her every time she goes out. It was a time of peace and they were not targeted, but it's better to be cautious. 

-" If your officer have assigned you to me it means it's true. You wouldn't stand next to me if you wouldn't have been capable of protecting me.", replied Lyrianna with a small smile not wanting to give away the fact that she's suspicious.

-" Let me...", the young knight approached the Queen, but she already mounted her horse by herself and looked down at him, pointing to his horse so he would also mount it and hit the road.

-" I hope you can keep up with me, the last one got left behind.", said Lyrianna with a smirk on her lips and he cheered up a bit seeing that the Queen have accepted him.

They were not riding on an actual road, it was just a path through the woods left of the carts and chariots that passed thru the forest, but it was made long ago, now it's just abandoned and Lyrianna found it peaceful, also, there are many forks and you could get lost if you don't know the way. The Queen loves to gallop thru the woods, especially today as it is a sunny day. Lyrianna loves how the sun's rays bath her skin when it is reflected among the branches of the trees. They stopped for a few seconds so Lyrianna could admire from afar a wild horse stud, the knight standing a few meters behind the Queen. She loves horses and sees them as magnificent and elegant creatures. Then, suddenly the young knight started to gallop to the Queen with his s.word drawn from the scabbard pointed to her chest. Lucky for her that he was predictable and a.ttacked right when they stopped for the first time and thought that she's not watching him. Lyrianna at that moment was just waiting for him to a.ttack so she was ready. What he didn't know was that the only one that accompany her thru the forest is Michelangelo, direct subordinated to the officer and no one else. She shunned the horse to the right so it won't hurt Alexander either and jumped from the horse on his horse's back and s.tabbed him in his lower back on both sides in his kidneys and he collapsed in her arms. Lyrianna threw him off the horse and left him on the field, hopefully some predators will find him. She dismount his horse and gets back on Alexander, taking the other horse along with her. She doesn't want to spoil her moment thru the woods because of that boy and continues her ride. At the nightfall she decided it was enough and call it a day so she returned to the palace where William was sick worried not knowing about her whereabouts and because he was informed that Michelangelo was not with her. He was waiting for Lyrianna in their chambers all night, but he didn't know that she was going to sleep in her own chamber.

As royals, when they arrange the marriage contract, they have to establish some things and one of them is the bedroom matter where the young man and his lady, along, with their parents establish how many days a week they have to sleep in the same chamber 'cause as a new couple they will have to procreate soon after the marriage is sealed. For those with high ranks, some chose to sleep only 1 to 3 days in the same chamber as theirs marriage is just for obtaining a higher rank or more money, as for those who actually like each other, it's enough to sleep in the same chamber for 4 to 5 days a week to show their affection. King William and Queen Lyrianna chose 6 days a week as their marriage was a pleasant one, but tonight she took off to sleep in her chamber. When the couple already has an heir, it's not necessarily to sleep together anymore or respect those days, but she still need to give William a boy before she can stay away from his chamber, but tonight it was her night off and no one can change that. 

William fell asleep waiting for her arrival, but he woke up just like he fell asleep. Alone. He was about to send the knights looking for her when he met her on one of the corridors leading to the kitchen. He seemed shocked to see her, with big eyes and his jaw reaching the ground when his eyes met hers. It was a little funny for her to see the King looking like this at her, but she tried and hid her smile and bowed a little his way and he marched towards her taking big strides.

-" Where do you think you have been?", he asked still looking shocked that she's standing in front of him.

-" I'm heading to the kitchen for lunch, your Highness, just as you are.", retorted Lyrianna without a trace of emotion on her face. 

-" I don't think you understood my question for you, my Queen...", he said thru gritted teeth and then paused for a moment to look straight in her eyes and tighten his grip on her wrist.

-" First of all, you are hurting me, and secondly, I have been in my chamber when I arrived from my ride through the woods and I took my dinner back up to my chamber as I felt very tired. And if you really wanna know, I am going again for a ride after lunch as today is such a lovely day and I presume that you are quite busy right now... my King!", as she finished saying this she turned to leave, but she stopped for a moment, " And by the way, you should make a routine control thru your knights so next time I feel like riding, no one would attempt to k.ill me!", with that being said she gave William one last glare before she strode out, but he was following her and managed to catch up.

-" You're not going anywhere today! And what did you just said about the k.illing attempt?", he questioned her, almost screaming. She looked surprised at him, but regained her composure quickly.

-" You heard me! And why is that I can't go out today?", she asked lifting her eyebrow and he didn't know how to response.

-" Amm..mm.. because I say so!", and she started giggling a little. He paused for a few seconds before he realized how childish that sounded and joined her giggling. Then he took her hands in his and looked at her with pure love and regret saying, " My dear, I am so sorry... for everything! I know I was wrong to betroth our daughter without your consent, but King Nathaniel requested only my presence and an immediate answer so I didn't had time to think of requesting your presence first. And besides, your presence wouldn't have made him change his mind, my dear. The answer would have been the same. I am truly sorry!", and as he finished apologizing, she jumped in his chest, her arms around his neck and with teary eyes.

-" I forgive you, my dear husband. That's all I wanted to hear!", and she hugged him even tighter.

-" Let's go for lunch and then I will wait 'till you are finished feeding our daughter so we can go for a ride together as I finished most of my duties yesterday. And you will tell me about what happened yesterday to you. ", he said with a big smile on his face, feeling proud at himself for apologizing to his wife and being forgiven.

-" What are we going to do with our daughter?", she asked more to herself in a sad tone, staring blankly.

-" Everything is going to be just fine, my dear. I promise!", William reassured her with a kiss on her forehead and she immediately started to smile a little.