IN YOUR NAME

"You must have been foolish to decide such a move." The Queen Mother said.

"I was very sober Mother." Alexander said.

"I highly doubt that." Queen Marietta said.

"You wouldn't understand a thing or two." Alexander said as he kept his eyes fixed on the portrait of his father.

"It is you who wouldn't understand." Queen Marietta said.

"I do understand, for once someone is trying to add a positive change to the Crown.

I am in favour of it and I trust that what ever Valerian does is for the good of us all." Alexander said.

"Threatening your Grand Uncle is for the good of us all?" Queen Marietta asked.

"He might have pushed Valerian." Alexander said.

"And threatening is not a Queen's way to vent out anger." The Queen mother said.

"Why are you so against everything that Valerian does?" Alexander asked.

"Because you fail to notice exactly how awful this is, you can not read him like I do." The Queen mother replied.

"Valerian is just most probably working towards the people's acceptance, the masses love him and I know with time every one else will." Alexander said.

"Stop making it seem like you actually depend on him more than you can depend in yourself." Queen Marietta replied.

"That is a misunderstanding." Alexander said.

"It isn't you of all people would know better that he is still a son to our mortal enemies." Queen Marietta said.

"Is there reason for us to be angry when we love each other?" Alexander asked.

"How come it is difficult for you to notice it up to now that his actions threaten the Crown, your crown?" The Queen mother asked.

"You are only imagining things." Alexander said.

"That is because I am not blinded like you are my child, trust me, Valerian can not at any single point in time be trusted." Queen Marietta said.

"So what is it that you are literally trying to propose?" Alexander asked.

"Be cautious of the power you give him and every decision that you make that concerns him." Queen Marietta replied.

"You worry over something so small and petty that won't bring any harm mother.

Think of it, if Valerian did all this for himself then why would he give tge credit and praise to me.

Why would he work on my image in the public where he always is?" Alexander asked.

"I am sure that you have heard the saying that actions speak louder than words." Another male voice said that the both of them turned around to see who it was.

"Uncle Alfred?" Alexander said.

"Forgive me for intruding on your conversation your Majesty." Prince Alfred said.

"Sure." Alexander replied as his uncle walked over to him.

"You would best understand your mother and what she is trying to say is even if the Queen talks about you, the only presence the people perceive and feel is his." Prince Alfred said.

"And what do you try to mean?" Alexander asked.

"However much he claims openly to come in your name, he is the one the people shall always see because the King is not there." Prince Alfred replied.

"And how is that a bad thing, how is it wrong for the people to see their Queen in the absence of the King?" Alexander asked.

"Because their Queen is more endeared to them than the husband." Prince Alfred replied.

"You must be misunderstanding things." Alexander said.

"I am certainly not, for instance, after the battle with the Darians, whom did the people praise, the King who sent or the Queen they saw.

At the time of the Great Winter, whom did the people praise, the King who was visiting the homeless or the Queen who run the capital?" Prince Alfred asked.

"Either way I am the legitimate wearer of the Crown and besides all that you have said, nothing is serious enough a threat to my crown.

Come to think of it, Valerian hasn't done anything wrong." Alexander said.

"That is what you want to believe Alexander, you fail to grasp the principle that is at stake here.

In your name, in your name, in your name, those organising your coronation feel threatened and offended.

These changes as you call them are pathetic, trying to shape the Crown into what, the common man's playground?" The Queen mother said.

"How does the kind of people invited for the coronation make it cease to be so?" Alexander asked.

The Queen mother immediately kept quiet and so did Prine Alfred.

"There is a chain of events that could negatively erupt from liberalising the Crown." Queen Marietta said.

"And just as much damage can arise if you do not do something before it is too late your Majesty." Prince Alfred said.

"Stop it the both of you." Alexander said.

"Mother, you overestimate Him." Alexander said.

"You underestimate him." Queen Marietta replied.

"And I know that I can not stop you from being suspicious of him so the least I can do is tell you

Please, don't make it difficult for the man that I woke up and married, please don't make life difficult for my Queen." Alexander said.

"If you really wish so." Queen Marietta said.

"My only hope is that at least you can put what I have told you into consideration.

At least for your own welfare, you can not be certain the type of people in whom you place your trust." Queen Marietta added.

"There is no need for you to worry about me." Alexander said.

"Then we shall take your leave your Majesty." Prince Alfred said.

The Queen mother looked like she was not ready to leave but she followed the Prince's action.

"I'd appreciate it if you did so." Alexander replied.

"Very well your Majesty." They both said as they paid their respects and then walked away.

Alexander was left behind looking at the portrait of his father that towered above him.

King Valga looked a little bit younger and it was a time before his ascension to the throne.

He looked very tall, mighty and also well built whereas on the other hand Alexander looked far better than his father.

"You made a name from being feared but I do not want to be like you." Alexander said.

"This time around, I shall make a name from being the most loved King in Scoln History." He added to himself as he looked at his own reflection in the mirror.

After a while, Alexander walked away and surprisingly clashed with Valerian who happened to be travelling to the backyard.

"Valerian?" Alexander said.

"Your Majesty." Valerian replied as he curtsied.

"You seem to be a little bit too excited." Alexander said as he noticed the rather cheerful expression on his consort's face.

"I am just going for a ride in the back yard, I must say that organising a coronation is not an easy thing at all.

I get happy having some time off at least to calm down." Valerian replied.

"May be you just take things a little bit too seriously." Alexander said.

"Of course I have to, my husband deserves the best possible coronation there can be.

It also seems like he could also use some relaxation." Valerian replied.

"I actually do, the King's work is literally hectic and the last time I relaxed was this morning when we watched the sunrise." Alexander replied.

"Then you can at least come and join me." Valerian said and the two continued right to the stables.

Valerian got his white stallion and Alexander got onto his black stallion and the two rode into the backyard.

"You really seem a little bit off." Valerian said once he noticed that Alexander was a little bit off.

"I am just tired." Alexander insisted with a smile as he looked at Valerian.

"Just relax and ease yourself into the mood, just close your eyes and then think about me and forget about work for a while." Valerian said.

"Is this therapy bound to work?" Alexander asked.

"Of course it is bound to work." Valerian replied.

"Then I shall be honoured to do it." Alexander said as he closed his eyes.

He tried so hard to forget about the words that his mother and uncle had told him and slowly, it felt as though they were retiring out of his mind.

He opened up his eyes shortly after and looked at the path that was staged before him.

"Forget everything and feel the wind rushing over your face as the horse runs." Valerian said.

At once, his horse stopped walking and started to run as he left Alexander behind.

"Wait for me." Alexander said and started riding off in the same direction where Valerian was headed.

Both of them were happy and they were so caught up in smiles that Alexander had forgotten all the piled up stress and eased into the mood for happiness.

They took the horses a couple of rounds around the back yard until eventually, the sun set and dusk hovered above the Capital.