I am not alright

"My Queen… are you alright?" asked Nora as she looked at Wura as she was looking a bit absent minded.

"I am alright Nora" replied Wura as she sighed and she looked at Nora.

"My Queen, I…" said Nora as she was cut off.

"My Queen, your words have really comforted the people" said Lady Marli as she cut off Nora and she walked to where Wura was standing as sounds of the people singing could be heard in the background.

"I am glad that they did" said Wura as she forced a smile, she was not happy, she was not happy at all.

"Lady Marli, would it be a problem if I leave now?" asked Wura.

"Ahh, well no my Queen, although you might miss the dance" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Alright then, I would prefer to go now, I am rather tired" said Wura, she did not even like dancing in the first place, and she would not be allowed to dance anyway, all she wanted to do was go to her room and sleep.

"As you wish my Queen" said Lady Marli as she smiled and she bowed her head, Wura was the Queen after all, she had proved that.

"Please have a goodnight" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Thank you Lady Marli, I will, and the same to you" said Wura as she smiled and Lady Marli walked away, she still had a lot to do.

"My Queen, are you ready to go now?" asked Zechariah as he smiled and he walked to where Nora and Wura were standing.

"Yes I am Sir Zechariah" replied Wura.

"Then we shall escort you my Queen" said Zechariah as he smiled.

"Alright then" said Wura as she was about to walk to the Carriage, that was until she heard her Father calling her.

"Wura" called Lawrence as he smiled and he walked to where Wura was as Ireti followed behind him.

"Yes Father" said Wura as she turned to look at her Father.

"You did well my dear" said Lawrence as he smiled.

"Thank you Father" said Wura as she smiled, her father had always believed in her.

"You are not staying?" asked Lawrence.

"Well no Father, I feel rather tired, I would prefer to go back to the Castle" said Wura.

"Oh well alright then my dear" said Lawrence as he smiled.

"You will not be coming back with me?" asked Wura.

"Well no my dear, we Dukes have a special duty to carry out" said Lawrence as he explained.

"Alright then father" said Wura.

"Goodnight Wura" said Lawrence as he smiled and he gave Wura a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight Father" said Wura as she smiled.

"Goodnight Mother" said Wura as she turned to look at her mother.

"Goodnight Wura" said Ireti with a slight smile.

"Goodnight my lady, Goodnight my lord" said Nora as she bowed her head, since Wura was leaving, it meant that she would be leaving as well, not that she did not want to, she did not like how crowded everywhere was, if not for the guards and Knights protecting the Queen, there would have been many people here as well.

"Goodnight Nora" said Ireti and Lawrence as they smiled and Wura walked away as Luc helped her into the carriage and Nora entered after her as Luc closed the carriage door and Wura sighed as she rested her hand against the window as she closed her eyes, Nora could tell that something was wrong, but she did not want to push it, so she decided to remain quiet.

…

"My Queen, would you like me to prepare you a bath?" asked Nora as she smiled and she removed the tiara from Wura's head as she put it on the dressing table.

"No Nora" said Wura as she climbed into bed, she just wanted to sleep, that was all.

"Alright my Queen" said Nora as she knew that Wura was not feeling well, but she did not want to say anything, less she upset Wura even more, but she knew that if she was the one in a bad mood, Wura would ask her why, so she should do the same.

"My Queen…" called Nora as she paused.

"Yes?" asked Wura as she turned to look at Nora.

"My Queen… are… are you alright?" asked Nora as she decided just to ask, in the end the worst Wura could do was relieve her of her duties for the night.

"*Sigh*" said Wura as she sighed, she was tired.

"No Nora… I am not alright" said Wura honestly, she did not feel like pretending that she was, when she obviously was not, and it was clear that Nora could notice that.

"My Queen, may I ask why you are not alright?" asked Nora as she could see that Wura needed someone to talk to right now.

"*Sigh*" said Wura as she sighed, she was contemplating whether or not she should say what was truly on her mind.

"My Queen, please forgive me for asking, I did not mean to make you even more tired than you already were" said Nora as she apologized.

"No Nora, you do not need forgiveness for anything" said Wura as she sighed.

"The thing is… I am upset… with his Majesty" said Wura as she let it out, she was upset with him, she was angry with him, the way he treated her was unfair, even if there was something very important that came up at the last minute, this had not been the first time he had stood her up, it was becoming a habit, as if she was not important to him at all.

"Ahh…" said Nora as she thought it would be so, his Majesty had been unfair to her lately.

"It is like he does not care for me at all, he had disappointed me, with one excuse or the other" said Wura.

"It hurts you know…" said Wura as she sighed and she looked at Nora, she promised herself that she was not going to cry and she wasn't she would not waste her tears on someone who did not care at all.

"My Queen, may I speak freely?" asked Nora.

"Of course you may Nora, never ask to speak freely, because you are allowed to" said Wura as she sniffed, even though she was not crying, her nose was runny.

"My Queen, you are his Majesty's wife, he cannot refuse to see you, you are the Queen, you might as well go to his room and wait till he returns, so that way he would not be able to avoid you my Queen" said Nora as she herself was upset with his Majesty, for the past few days he had been avoiding Wura and treating her unjustly, which made her angry, how could he treat her lady like that?

"Oh Nora, you have such wide ideas" said Wura as she laughed, what Nora had suggested made her laugh, if she did that, she would look like a jealous, spoilt wife, which she was not.

"But my Queen, I am serious… did I say something funny?" asked Nora.

"Well yes Nora, how can I go and wait for him in his room?" asked Wura as she laughed.

"If he does not want to see me, then that is his problem and not mine, I do not want to see him either" said Wura as she stopped laughing.

"But my Queen, you are his wife… and not his lover" said Nora as Wura scoffed which left Nora even more confused.

"My Queen, did I say something wrong?" asked Nora as she could not understand.

"Oh no Nora, you did not say anything wrong, in fact you have the perfect advice" said Wura as she smiled, Nora knew more than she showed.

"But sadly I cannot use any of your advice" said Wura as she sighed.

"But why my Queen?" asked Nora as she could not understand.

"Well because Nora, I and his Majesty, we do not have a normal relationship, we do not love each other" said Wura as she saw the look of disbelief, and well confusion on Nora's face as she spoke.

"Nora, the thing is… I never married his Majesty out of love… and neither did he marry me out of love as well" said Wura as she knew that she had to break this down for Nora.

"Nora, please say something" said Wura as she looked at Nora, as Nora could not say anything.

"Then… then why did you get married to his majesty my Queen?" asked Nora.

"Just out of duty Nora, it was out of pure duty" explained Wura.

"We only pretend to be in love in the eyes of others, but deep down, behind closed doors, we really do not love each other, which is why I cannot go and overstep my boundary by insisting to see him" said Wura, she needed to get this all off her chest.

"But… but…" said Nora as she stuttered.

"But what Nora?" asked Wura.

"But my Queen, did you and his Majesty not…" said Nora.

"Not what?" asked Wura.

"Not…" said Nora as she paused.

"Go on Nora, you can say whatever it is that you want to say, I will not get upset" said Wura as she smiled.

"My Queen, did you and his Majesty not… consummate your marriage??" asked Nora as she pushed it out.

"Well no Nora, we did not, I insisted that we not, we do not love each other after all" said Wura as she smiled and she replied, and the look on Nora's face said everything, it was a mix of worry, fear, confusion and most of all disbelief of what she was hearing.

"But my Queen you…, his Majesty…" said Nora as she could no longer make sentences, it was as if she had heard the worst news, Wura and Liam had fooled them all.

"Nora, have you ever wondered why I was so sure I was not with child when the physician said so?" asked Wura as she smiled and Nora nodded her head.

"Well that was because, his Majesty and I have not done anything, we have not been together" said Wura as she smiled.

"But my Queen… it is a great sin, you and his Majesty… you cannot…the people…" said Nora as she felt like her head was going to explode, what Nora had just heard from Wura could not make her think properly.

"I think of it as a sin to give myself to a man I do not even love, do you not think so?" asked Wura as she looked at Nora.

"Well yes my Queen but…" said Nora.

"Nora, would you give yourself to a man you do not even love, just because everyone expects you to?" asked Wura.

"Well… no my Queen… I would not" said Nora as she bowed her head, Wura was right, it was unfair for her to give herself to a man she did not even love, regardless of if he was the King or not.

"You see Nora… I know you must feel bad that I have been lying to you and as well as everyone else, but I had no other choice" said Wura.

"I have no feelings at all for his Majesty" said Wura.

"*Sigh*" said Nora as she sighed, she had discovered too much this evening.

"Nora" said Wura as she stood up from her bed and she walked to Nora as she held Nora's hands in hers.

"I told you all this because I trust you, I know that you are someone that I can tell anything" said Wura as she smiled.

"So I ask that everything I just told you remains strictly between us" said Wura as she smiled.

"My Queen, you can count on me" said Nora as she nodded her head, she would not say anything to anyone.

"I know I can" said Wura as she smiled and she gave Nora a hug which surprised her.

"Goodnight Nora, I know that today had been a long day" said Wura as she smiled.

"Goodnight my Queen" said Nora as she smiled and Wura smiled as Nora walked away and she closed the door behind her.

"*Sigh*" said Wura as she sighed and she smiled as she climbed into her, she just felt so much more lighter after she had spoken to Nora, she felt better.

"Oh Wura, you really do tend to get yourself in trouble" said Wura as she laughed and she closed her eyes as she drifted off into slumber.

…

"You may go" said Mero as he spoke to a guard who was guarding a room.

"Yes my lord" said the Guard as he saluted and he bowed as he walked away, Mero waited for the guard to leave before he opened the door and he walked into the dimly lit room as he lit some more candles.

"Mero is that you?" asked Liam as he was sitting down on a couch.

"Liam, can you please tell me why you would be so reckless?" asked Mero as he walked to where Liam was.

"That was not recklessness but action" replied Liam as he stifled a grunt as his left hand was being bandaged.

"Your Majesty, please make sure to keep your hand away from water, it should heal in a fortnight, to prevent scarring, you will need to apply some ointment" said the Physician as he stood up.

"Thank you" said Liam as he smiled.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice Physician" said Mero.

"It is no problem at all, I live to serve his majesty" said the Physician as he smiled.

"I will take my leave now" said the Physician as he smiled and he walked away as the door closed behind him.

Liam tried to move his bandaged left hand, but it was extremely painful.

"You were only supposed to watch Liam, and stay out of harms way" said Mero as he began to scold Liam.

"How do you expect me to watch, while my men are fighting on my behalf" said Liam as he replied, and he touched the right side of his abdomen, he had been slightly grazed there as well.

"You were too quick to respond" said Mero as he sighed, they had found out about an assassination attempt by the East, they were going to strike at the wake, and so Mero and Liam had to change their plans, instead of attending the wake, they had gone to stop the assassins.

But Liam was not careful enough, as he was fighting, his sword was hit out of his hand, which resulted with his hand being hurt, and with that, the assassin tried to jab him in his abdomen, but luckily Mero was able to get there on time.

"I underestimated them… they were good swordsmen" said Liam.

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Mero.

"What else do you want me to say Mero?" asked Liam as he smiled.

"You do realize that you could have died, because of your actions, what would happen to the Kingdom then?" asked Mero.

"You worry too much Mero, I have not fought in a long time, it felt good to" said Liam.

"You have not been taking care of yourself and yet you dive head first into a battle" said Mero.

"Mero, It is late, I believe we should all be in bed now" said Liam.

"Are you not going to tell the people why you were not able to attend the wake?" asked Mero.

"What for?" asked Liam as he stood up and he walked to get his robe on the other couch nearby.

"It would only make them worry and not be at peace, and we have already taken care of the threat" said Liam as he turned to look at Mero as Mero sighed.

"Just go to bed Mero, we will see in the morning, Goodnight" said Liam as he walked out of the room, leaving Mero there all alone.