The 1007th Lady Consort

As soon as Aisha finished her meal, she immediately requested Rosalia to accompany her to the Castle Garden. She was hoping that its exquisite beauty would clear her mind.

She was glad that the King had granted her request of compensating the Gatekeeper's family. But his last statement blew her mind away.

"At first, he told me that he would make me his wife. And now I am the future Queen? Oh my gosh, is he kidding me?" Aisha's hands flung in the air in desperation, surprising Rosalia.

"Why, my lady? Don't you like to be a Queen and the wife of the King? Many ladies would die of envy to be in your position," Rosalia expressed her opinion as she continued to direct her steps to the Castle Garden.

Her small nose wiggled and sneezed as it seemed to sense the presence of pollen, signaling that they were already near the Garden.

True enough, as they turned to the left, rows or patches of flowers separated by ground cover plants laid bare before Aisha's eyes. A breeze gently stirring the ornamental grasses caressed her nose, making her downcast lips turned up.

"You're right. This is beautiful," Aisha uttered as her slender legs ran towards the benches where she could sit and watch the butterflies flitting between blossoms.

Her plum cheeks heightened as she admired its beauty. "I know being a Queen is one of the best positions a woman can ever have. I have even daydreamed about it when I was a kid."

She extended her hand to touch one of them, but it flew away. "Actually, that's the reason why I joined beauty contests. I want the crown. But that's it. I don't want responsibilities. And I don't think I can raise up the next King. Oh my gosh, just thinking about it makes me vomit," Aisha held on to her neck to emphasize her point.

"But what if it is a royal command? You could be punished by death if you disobeyed it. And by the looks of the King, I think he is so smitten with you that he will do what it takes to make you the Queen, his wife or a royal concubine, my lady," Rosalia said as she picked up one of the sprinklers on a nearby bench.

She put it down to tie down her apron properly, and then picked up the sprinkler again so she could water the plants.

"Royal Concubine? How could that be a royal thing? Oh right, Kings are entitled to polygamy. I thought that was just in the books," Aisha thought out loud, with her dainty fingers on her rosy lips.

"Polygamy?" Rosalia asked as she scratched her head. She stopped from watering the plants and turned towards Aisha.

"Oh, never mind. But what do you mean by royal concubine? Am I going to be like the 7th mistress or something?" Lady Aisha asked with curiosity.

Rosalia brought down the sprinkler and pondered on what Aisha said. Her fingers shot up as if she was counting how many royal concubines King Leandro has.

"If the King will make you his royal concubine, you will be the 701st. If he makes you his wife, you will be the 307th. And if he will make you his Queen, you will be the first," Rosalia finally answered her with a satisfied smile on her face.

Aisha almost dropped to the floor at Rosalia's response. "700 concubines and 306 wives? What kind of stamina does the King have?" She uttered with her pale lips as she imagined the King with his wives and concubines.

Rosalia couldn't help but chuckle at her comment. "The King has been looking for his Chosen One for decades. And he takes good care of his women, even if they could not give him an heir. As far as I know, only the Chosen One will be hailed as the Queen. That is why the royal concubines and wives are always competing for his attention," Rosalia shared with her as she went to the nearby fountain to wash her hands.

"All the single ladies in Gaea even gave themselves to even just being a royal concubine. But the King has already given up his search years ago," Rosalia sighed as she looked up at the sky. It seemed as if she was one of the ladies that she was talking about.

"Well, a thousand women is enough. I feel pity for the other Gaean men," Lady Aisha shrugged her shoulders. Then she bit her lips before adding, "But I don't want to be the 1,007th Lady Consort. If I am one of them, I cannot go out of the Castle. Am I right? I'm just going to stitch clothes, wait for the King to come to my bed. Jeez, I'm getting the creeps," Aisha shivered and rubbed her arms as her hairs were standing up.

"You would also be taking care of the prince and princess. You will be comforting the King when he is tired and stressed. I think it's a lovely picture, my lady," Rosalia answered with a dreamy look on her face.

"Well, maybe I'm not fit for a family. I don't see myself being a good mother. My children will just blame me for their existence. I don't want that to happen," Aisha drew in a deep breath as she gazed away, as if she could see past the sky and into the realm where she came from.

A wind blew, silencing the both of them. Only the rustling leaves and plant stalks could be heard as they both have their own reminiscing of their past lives.

Just then, one of the royal guards came to them with a scroll in his hand. "A Royal Command for Lady Aisha!"

Rosalia bowed down to him. Aisha, not knowing what to do, bowed down to him as well.

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Your most valuable parenting skill is learning to manage yourself first. —Dr. Laura Markham