Loving at Ease vs. Loving at Efficiency

"The festival is set for you to attend, your majesty" my advisor reminds me as I bite down on my tongue.

"Mary, please send word to Lady Vern I may not be able to make it" I numbly inform my advisor.

"That is simply not the Queen I know" Councilman Gaverns interrupts me as I stand from my stool, stumbling to my feet in his presence.

"You know how a gentleman would not enter a room without complete confirmation a woman is done dressing" I inform him with an angered tone as he chuckles.

"I asked one of your chambermaids, she said you were finished." His defense I find faulty, "By the look on you face it seems like that is not the only subject that you wished to be finished with" he observes as I nod in more agreement he could ever predict.

"You are dismissed, Mary" I release my advisor as she bows and leaves, only me and councilman Gaverns within the room.

"I thought you were a fair Queen, more fair than this. Refusing to attend the kingdoms festival?" He asks me as I scoff.

"They would not allow me in either way, at least not until I was with child" I admit to him as Gaverns nods his head to me in disappointment.

"A Queen shall always be there for her people, even the ones that don't deserve it" his lecture coming to a end. "I will notify Mary you will attend, alongside your spouse. Let the kingdom see you at your worst and best, they are your family" Gaverns forces my hand, leaving me with his words as I stand in front of my vanity with a frown painted on my face.

***************

"The Queen has granted you to attend the fall harvest festival with her, alongside" a servant alerts me as I shake my head at her nerve. "This is the outfit the Queen has ordered you wear" he hands me the red suit with a crown as I point the servant to the table.

"Thank you" I respond as he leaves, my door closing as I frown. Looking to the suit as I take another look at the suit, specifically the crown a frown still staining my face. "She treats me as a common whore!" The insult of her treatment angers me but I ignore it and dress. Wearing her colors with disdain on my face.

***********

The sounds on music rang through the festival as I arrived, two guard escorting me with untrustworthy thoughts of me.

"Ah! Nigel!" I hear a voice as I look in front of me as I realize I should have recognized that voice, the voice of my Wife. "Here he is" she comments as she looks to me, half her hair in a bun, the rest fallen aside, by her chin. Her dress like the leaves, slightest of orange mixed with a overseen red, and her crown on her head.

"What? Did you not expect me to attend?" I ask her as she nods her head and the guards disband. Now I'm at the mercy of her and only her.

"No, I only hoped you would" she smiles at me, a unfamiliar smile, happiness shining through her eyes. "Let's try to keep it civil tonight. This festival...….it holds sweet memories for me, let not ruin that" a deep breath holding something within as she looks towards the stage. "We must announce the harvest" she commands, taking my arm in hers and leading me onto the stage.

The silence is gawking as the people turn at the presence of royalty. Something I've never seen, her people were smiling, full stomachs and there was no opposition. Just a week before my departure we had a rally, the people were stick and bone, angry and their faces tired. How could it be different. From a child I was told Ophela was a lie, a spineless and neutral kingdom that if not taken would become something disastrous.

"My dearest people, I wish you a plentiful harvest may these lands bless our beloved people with a bounty of foods. Our lands starved of blood and neutrality in our bones, may this continue in the reign of your new King and Queen" she announces as applause breaks the silence and she turns to me with her smile.

"Cheers!" I raise my glass, her eyes shocked. "To a bountiful harvest" I toast my glass against her as she turns to the crowd holding her glass out as the crowd raise all of theirs.

"Now we can eat!" She chuckles making her way to the table as I follow behind her.

"Nothing is like this in Narvyia" I admit as she sits and leans to me, curiosity tempting her.

"What is it truly like?" She ask me as I look around and fall fatally to her question.

"Saddening, children are rare. Many would go as far as murder just for a simple grain, it is now a barren land that I no longer know as my own. The people are nothing like this know, they either beg for death or the heads of those responsible for their pain and suffering." I admit to her as her smile fades. Biting into the turkey and a sip of wine as she looks at me with misery painted into her eyes.

"When I was a babe I heard such heroic stories about Narvyia, how its men where made from steel, it's capital of gold and the people from hardwork. Such a flourishing kingdom that conquered, my father only dreamed to ally with them. It was his downfall as well as Narvyia's." She shares, looking at me. "I only feel sorry for your people" she sympathizes as a drumming breaks the silence and my attention is taken to the center, people dancing as Evania rises from her chair. "It's tradition" her voice sounding less filled than before as she holds out her hand to me and for a second I think to embarrass her.

Striking her hand away, turning her away and alone to dance but only for second, then I take her hand into mine.

"Why are they slow dancing?" I ask her as the constant thumping of the drums can still be heard.

"They chose to appreciate the music and this song, it represents those lost in battle." She tells me, entangling her finger in mine, my hand falling on her waist as she quivers but continues. "They love this song" she speaks as I couldn't be more confused.

"This is not dancing, this is swaying!" I critique as she scoffs at my words.

"We are different, traditions, new and old. These are ours, respect them" She scolds me as the song continues her body coming closer to mine until finally she rest her head on my shoulder.

"Do your traditions include almost killing your husband?" I ask as she sighs at my question

"Only when it is justified" she answers as I slightly chuckle and the song breaks.

As the clapping ends I scuffle off, away from the crowd of people and to the corner as I continue to watch. The music picked up, most dance faster with or without partners but one couple had caught my eye. A older couple, the woman's hair resembled the color of the moon, turned to gray and the man, only had a few stands of hair that weren't completely gray. Her dress was purple, nothing like the other women and the man wore simply blue slacks and a off white shirt. Her arms fell around his neck as his wrapped around her waist as they continued to sway to the new up beat song. Not once did they look away from each, almost as of they were truly mesmerized.

"Isn't it beautiful, all the people together" She adds turning to me as I look at her.

"They are insane, right?" I ask, gesturing towards the older couple as her eyes soften.

"In a way, I guess we all are" she says as her eyes lock on the couple

"What is wrong with them, are they sick?" I ask her as she lets out a stifled laugh.

"They are not sick, they are in love. Their is only one reason why people look at each other like that and they are in love." Her words still confusing, "In a way I can only guess it is a sickness in a way" she stops and takes in the sight more.

"Have you had this sickness before?" I ask her as she exhales and nods her head.

"No, I don't believe I have." She answers, abruptly turning to me, "Have you.....ever been in love before?" She asks me as she stumbles over her words.

"I was to be married, she was everything I could have ever wanted. Accomplished, prestigious, beautiful and listened, she would have made any man a suitable wife." I tell her as I remember her face. "Her name was Eliza, she was my fiancee, my father murdered her" I say as she looks at me, accessing every inch of my face for a bit of emotion.

"I'm sorry for your loss" her solemn words provide a unexpected comfort, "But did you love her?" She ask me again as I nod my head.

"Love means less than anything in a marriage, you said it yourself" I tell her, throwing her own words back in her face.

"I lie" she admits as I stop, "I guess I thought if I deny myself something I've never had and most likely never will somehow, ...it will make my heart stop its longing. Truly, who would understand me?" she ask herself.

"You should stop longing for it" I tell her as her eyes widen as she gazes into mine, shock glazing them, "Something that doesn't exist" I advise her.

Her eyes drop at my admission as she clamps them shut. "It does exist, I know because I have seen it" She tries as I snicker at her lie.

"Your parents marriage was less than happy, you said it yourself. Your mother ran, no person does that if they are in raptures" I reason with her as she gasps at the truth of her example

Her eyes glossy and her glare unbreakable. "I have seen it, not from my mother and father. They were less than perfect, they hated each other, my mother practically was reborn with my father's death and she ran. But I know why, he was my father, through the tens of times she was with child they never carried to term and with that she started to go numb. My father thought she was cursed, and because of that ignored her. I was the only child she successfully carried to term, and the day I was born I broke my father's heart." The words of anger and passions could not have been more persistent. "You know as well as me what it is like to love somebody, whether they are evil they are at least yours. Nonetheless a parent, he was my father, no matter the evil he showed me or my mother, the people he hurt what I wouldn't give to have him here with me. Telling me, once again that because I am a woman I have to be strong, smarter or more diligent, to hear him list my weaknesses once again" Her confession staining her face.

"That's loyalty" I tell her as she looks at me with that same hatred from the ball.

"My uncle was the best man I ever knew, the only man I wasn't ashamed to love. Neither was my aunt, they were in love. That is how they looked at each other, with the look of life in one another's eyes, as if their gaze shifted the air would cease. He abandoned his title, his family, his throne for her, a simple village woman is what was a treasure in his eyes. He wanted to be a father but when my aunt could not give him that he wrapped his arms around her, holding her until midnight. She had cried herself to sleep, with blood still on her nightgown, she never wanted his money or title. She wanted to offer him everything she could, but he loved her as she was. he never took another wife, a concubine or mistress, he loved her too much. And when she was ill her never left her, until her dying breath convinced she would live like he promised her, he feared breaking any promise he ever made to her. He went to war after her death destined to be with her, he almost died to find her again. The people of Ophela think his blindness was a injury in war, but it was a lie. My uncle went blind from staying in a dark room and crying, his heart breaking, mourning his wife caused his blindness. He told me later that if he couldn't see her ever again there was no point in ever seeing again. That is love, something you know nothing about!" She angrily says as a tear trembles onto her rosy cheek as she storms off into the field as I stand there, waiting for god knows what next.