Disrespect

"Her Grace, The Duke of Lothbridge and Her husband," the chamberlain announced as the large doors of the throne room parted. Caspian thought it weird how impractical it was for one to keep such large doors as he was wheeled into the large throne room. More than that, he was praying that she wouldn't lose her manners in front of the displeased King and Queen.

He didn't have to worry too much.

She got down on one knee, saluting perfectly, a paragon of manners.

"I have answered your summon, your majesty."

Caspian did his best to bow too.

"Raise your head, daughter of Lothbridge."

Aretha raised her head and so did Caspian. However, he made sure to keep his gaze low, so he didn't make eye contact with the King and Queen. Aretha spoke first.

"The north is safe and from what I could see, the Capital is safe as well. Is there anything that requires the use of the King's Seal?"

Any thoughts of the cheeky Duchess being well behaved flew right out of the window.

"There have been rumors that the neighboring kingdoms are banding together to attack us once more. We..."

"Your majesty, my duty as the Duchess of Lothbridge is to defend us from the demons. I am no longer a commander in the army. This is the agreement your majesty's ancestors made with my ancestors. This is our of my jurisdiction."

"How dare you be impudent?!"

"Have you run out of trustworthy servants, your highness? Verifying rumors shouldn't be a hard task for the King's guard or that lazy second son you have named your heir apparent. Even the useless first prince is capable of resolving such matters. There is no true need for me to be in the capital, your majesty. I'd appreciate if you didn't interfere so much with my honeymoon."

The King sighed. "I should've asked your father to take a harder hand with you. I thought with age, your blade mouth would get better. I see even marriage isn't enough to make you soft."

"If I become soft, your kingdom would become overrun with demons. Especially now that the Queen of Demons is awake."

"What did you just say?" The king asked, gripping the arm rest of his throne shakily. Aretha shrugged carelessly.

"I saw her with my own eyes. I can't say I'm confident enough to hold her back myself. My presence in the north is enough to deter her from attacking carelessly but the longer I am away... I can only fear for our safety."

"Duchess, do you dare lie to your liege?!"

"Now, what reason would I have to do that?"

The large doors shut behind them. Caspian looked at his careless spouse, happily wheeling him down the corridors of the palace from which the greenhouse was visible.

"Is it really okay to speak to the King and Queen like that?"

"If they want to get rid of me, they would have to get rid of all the demons in the north. So, as long as the demons abound, I think I have a long time to life. They might try to get rid of you though."

"Aretha!"

"Don't worry. I have reliable people to protect you. You're safe, even here. And now, we'll have lunch in that greenhouse over there. Adrianna may be stubborn but she's useful. She arranged for lunch so quickly. Unfortunately, there's a banquet this evening."

"What of your duel with the Second Prince?"

"Does it concern you so much? Do not worry, my husband. I am not going to lose you to an idiot like him."

He did not know if it was her confidence or her tone of voice but he had firm faith in her. He did not want to leave her side under any circumstances. He could admit to himself that he was scared of the world that wasn't under her protection.

"Still, I don't think the Royals will take too kindly to you beating up the second prince and heir apparent. After what happened in the throne room, I'm not surprised if they conspire..."

He slapped a hand over his mouth immediately, horrified.

"Hmm? What's this I hear? Doubt? In the royal family? My dear husband, are you perhaps thinking of anarchy?"

"No! No! No! No! I am not!"

At the entrance arc of the greenhouse, a butler parted the flower curtains, letting them in. The smell of dirt and pollen assaulted Caspian's nose immediately, causing him to cover his nose. This went unnoticed by Aretha who continued leading him down the peach trees and flower gardens to the pavilion where they were going to have lunch. She also pointed out flowers to him that were rare in the kingdom, explaining in great details how they were transported and replanted.

Caspian wanted to know how exactly she knew this but he couldn't remove his hand from his nose. They finally reached the royal siblings and were not pleased to see the Second Prince was joining them for lunch.

"Shall we head back and have lunch in our manor, husband?" Aretha immediately said, turning his wheelchair in the direction they came from.

"It would be rude to just go, your grace," he responded, his nose turning a brilliant shade of pink. His hoarse voice made Aretha finally realize what was going on.

"Are you alright, husband?"

"Excessive pollen causes this effect. It should be better with fresh air," he responds. His eyes were also starting to tear up and the redness was spreading to his cheek. This did nothing to assuage her worries as her eyebrows formed a deeper creese in her forehead.

"Someone get the royal physician, immediately!"

Aretha was hysterical, ordering that a doctor he brought immediately. She put her hand on his forehead and the inflammation actually stopped spreading.

Jaime, Adrianna and Joseph got to see the fierce Duchess crack under pressure. It fascinated them. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that the duchess was human so in times like this, they...just continued eating.

The Royal Physician arrived and Caspian was carted away. Aretha wanted to follow him, of course, but she was stopped by Joseph, who got in her way.

"What are you doing, your highness?" she asked, trying to remain calm as she saw her husband disappear into the halls of the palace.

"Our duel. You couldn't possibly have forgotten, Duchess."

"Looks like you're more eager to die than I thought, Joseph."

"And I'm done with your attitude. Your gross disrespect for the royal family and my position as the heir apparent. I know you support my brother but you should know that staying on the losing side won't do you any good?"

"Losing side? Are you saying I'm the one with no respect? Do you not know, Heir apparent, that respect is earned, not given? I will not respect those who do not respect me whether they be the fucking King or an overconfident child."

"Then raise your sword, Duchess."

Aretha turned around to look at Jaime. Sighing, Jaime stood up.

"Don't hurt him too badly, Aretha. He's still my brother and they have Caspian with them now."

Aretha's eyes turned dark. "Don't worry. I'll leave him with all his limbs intact."

She turned to Joseph.

"I don't need a sword."

The training grounds were just a short distance from the greenhouse. All four of them heading over to the training grounds, followed closely by the gossipy servants. Unsurprisingly, Taylor was present at the training grounds, waiting for Aretha.

"Would you like a sword and a shield, your highness?" he said, offering him a real sword and a heavy shield. Jaime recognized the mischievous smile on Taylor's lips.

"Servants as impudent as their masters. My squire can pick out something better."

Joseph's squire, a tall, bulky man with tanned skin and short silver hair brought over a sword and a shield. Aretha stood there, unarmed. Taylor took his placed behind the First Prince and Princess.

"Taylor, keep an eye on Caspian. I don't want your mistress to burn the palace down just yet," Adrianna ordered.

"Yes, my princess," Taylor bowed and left.

"Now!" Jaime declared. "The rules of this duel are simple. They must force each other to surrender. They can inflict any sort of bodily harm but they cannot chop limbs and that includes heads. Also, avoid the face. Yes, I'm looking at you, Aretha. If this duel gets dangerous, I'll have to step in and stop it. We can't have you killing the heir apparent. Alright! Let the duel...BEGIN!"

Taylor traced Caspian's scent along a straight path, walking as if he belonged in the castle. His butler outfit blended right in, making him look as if he was the servant of the first prince. He located Caspian easily and opened the door of the room. The scene he chanced upon made him smile.

The Royal Physician was hunched over the now unconscious body of his master, laying on the bed with a knife in his hands.

"Now, what might you be doing, Royal Physician?"