Fertile Valley

The next morrow Etna knocked hard on Mircea's chambers' door. The small village had invited the queen for a small event, the crops had been growing in a good number. Moreover it was a healthy patch of corps and it was a year of harvest, they wanted to celebrate it all over the kingdom with dark red and white wine both. Mircea was happy to hear the good news.

Etna herself dressed Mircea, the whole capitol city was attending the noon event. "Do you have any preference on the color of your gown, your majesty?" Etna asked, looking through her small room that was filled with colorful clothes, coats and much more. Those clothes would be enough for a lifetime, for a normal lady. For a royal like Mircea they would be discarded after four months of use. 

"No, choose anything that you think would suit me." 

"Okay." Etna drawls out from the confined area. After a minute she comes out with deep green that is a mix of emerald and pine hues of green. Mircea gazes at the strapless gown she is holding high in her arms. It has no diamonds on it like her other gowns but she can see the little hand work which was used with white-cream thread. 

It is a sophisticated dress with a little more skin showing and yet it is the prettiest she has seen in a while. Mircea smiles at Etna in approval as she stands in her under garments in front of the full mirror. 

"Your choice has just become more unique over the years." Mircea says when the other lady-in-waiting brings forth two under gowns for Mircea to wear underneath the purest green gown. 

"I simply think it would look lovely on you, your majesty." Etna grins.

It is a rare sight to see her smile this big. It's been so long since she last laughed. She used to always giggle about something with her mother. Her mother's death hadn't just affected her family, she thinks grimly.

"Let's see." Mircea steps into the fluffy under gowns and lets the lady-in-waiting tie it around her waist. It does not take long for them to cloth her fully after that. Etna excuses the two ladies-in-waiting saying she can handle Mircea's face makeup.

"Have you been taking the liquid I bought you the other day?" Etna asks in a low voice doing Mircea's hair. 

"Yes, just a drop." Mircea doesn't specify how she takes it before going to bed or what the exact side effects she faces in her sleep. Sometimes she sleeps like an infant, sometimes the poison haunts her in her sleep resulting in the same nightmare where she wakes panting.

"I shall be pleased that you are doing that. I thank you, your majesty." She bows down. 

"If anything I am doing it so I won't die the same way my father did." Mircea's smile is somewhat between torn and happy. At that moment a thought knocked on the door of her brain. She should have asked Urban what kind of poison it was and if it was safe to take it everyday, especially before she slept. 

Devils! Now she couldn't… she wouldn't.

If she asked the royal physician he could tell the saints know who, perhaps everyone, that she had asked him something about the poison which was used to kill the late king. She couldn't afford anymore rumors. 

Leigh! Yes, she could ask Leigh. 

"Yes, that is why you need to do everything you can to survive." Etna breaks in through her train of thoughts. Mircea's eyes find her eyes looking in the space-there is a glint in her eyes which seems a mixture of angry and cunning. She is not sure what to make of it. 

Mircea doesn't say anything as she watches Etna do her makeup. She keeps her normal deep dark strokes above her eyes light this time. If you stand far you can't say she has done anything at all to highlight her features with human made powders.

For the first time in a while Mircea likes how she looks, howbeit, the crown still stands apart from her personality. It isn't like I can simply not wear it, she consoles herself if that is what consoling means and gets ready to ride to the small village.

The sky is shining like the saints themselves have glittered their magic in it today. The blue color is vibrant and the white clouds floating in it make the picture better. Ships will start sailing today. Mircea hopes days like these continue to fill her day with lucious exuberance so she can forget what happened yesterday night, and all those bad days which left a scratch on her heart.

Almost every other high official family is here to show that they respect the queen and how grateful they are to saints that they have blessed them this year with fruitful harvest. 

Last few years of the reign of the late king, everyone knew the harvest was not as good as it used to be. The trade had slowed and there was so much to give to the lowest community of workers in Slyve. Therefore war was not a question, now, however if they consistently grow good harvest for half a decade Mircea could trade enough to provide all ammunition and support them in full force. 

It was not all that bad. She could rule Slyve with her blood and sweat. 

By the time the ceremony ended it was dusk. Mircea bid her last goodbye to the local peasants and workers who had left their work to come see her. The people in the small village did not recognise her at all. It was the dress, the electric coach and her crown that made her different from the homeless girl who would stop by once in a while looking like she belonged to the streets and sword fights more than they did.

 Mircea plopped down on her bed. Etna had told her that she would serve her supper within an hour and then she could retire to bed. She was tired but not sleepy. Today she didn't get a chance to swing her sword at the combat practice. They usually gave a day off from combat practice thrice a year and she doesn't want to waste that three in a year chance today.

She gets up and loses the dress that is tight around her curves.After donning black leather and sheathing her sword at around her waist she steps out of the palace. Soft warm cool wind blows her bare face. "Today is going to be sweaty." She says to herself looking at the sky.

There are not many people around today. She is aware of the after parties that take place in her absence but it never bothers her as much. 

Mircea starts taking laps around the practice area to warm her body muscles. She is almost done with her warm up session when Urban walks in with Leigh behind hot on his heels. She doesn't stop her squat jumps as she contemplates if they are here because they already got tickets to sail back. 

Shockingly Urban walks the other and it looks like Leigh will be anywhere but here.They both start a different kind of drilling session perplexing Mircea further. She didn't know men who could read and heal people like him would be interested in combat practice of any kind. 

"Your majesty." A soldier in his early thirties stops before Mircea bowing with utter respect in his eyes. 

"Yes?" Mircea asks, standing straight. From the look on his face he is here to challenge her in a duel. Mircea loves how men of Slyve think men and women are equal physically and mentally. They are taught to respect everyone equally in the front army, their status and the estate they own does not matter for men and women of the front except for the king and queen, of course. 

"If you allow, I would like to challenge your majesty in a duel." He says with confidence that Mircea likes in her opponent. Not many people in Slyve have challenged her for a duel in the past but every time she had a duel she won. Even if her opponents were good competitors. Carsten was the only exception in her case and she had promised herself she would change the case. 

Mircea smiles warmly, "It is courageous of you to ask that. Let me get my sword."

"I will get it for you." He slips off to look for her sword before gets a chance. Mircea's eyes wander around only to get locked with the last person she wants to meet today. She breaks off the eye contact instantly stretching her fingers for the duel.