Deidre's Faerie Tale Ch. 10

"You're majesty," a smooth baritone voice said behind me. I slowly turned around. I'd been staring out of the French doors that lead to the back garden, dazed and daydreaming about my afternoon in bed with Tolem. Mostly, wishing we'd had more time, or could do that again very soon. Then, one of my main problems called me out of my daydream.

"Yes, Prince Irial," I said with a polite smile.

My back teeth clenched at the way his rolled R's skittered across my nerves in a good way. I was such a sucker for a man with an accent. When I looked at him, my nerves calmed. He just didn't do it for me, not the way Tolem did it. Maybe it was his regal manner; I just knew he'd never scowl at me or roll his eyes at something I said. What would be the fun in a life with a man that was all good manners and etiquette? I certainly wasn't the most polished person in the room, but knowing that Tolem knew that and believed that I should still be queen made me feel that I'd made the right decision. He loved me, he believed in me, and he had a big...

"I find your kingdom very charming," Irial said with a glance out the window behind me. "Quaint and the people seem happy."

"Thank you," I said with a genuine smile.

Something crossed his face, a look of hesitation. His mouth open and shut quickly. He licked his lips and ran a hand over his chin.

"Is there something you wanna say?" I asked a bit too harshly even to my own ears.

"I was just thinking, considering you are only half elf and half royal, you are quite an exceptional choice for a wife." His lips tugged up into a small smile.

"Was that a compliment?" I crossed my arms.

His eyes dropped to my cleavage for a split second before coming back to my face.

"Yes, of course. It was a compliment."

I wanted to slap his beautiful face. Instead I sighed. "Your highness, I'm not used to your traditions and I don't plan on marrying a man who doesn't love me. I'm flattered that you find me an 'exceptional choice' but you're not going to win my heart with that kinda talk."

His brows raised and his lips slammed into a thin line. "I was merely musing on the benefits of a union between us."

"While slamming my mother and ultimately insulting me. I may only be half royal but even I know that's pretty rude...your highness."

He glanced sideways; his female security elf didn't meet his gaze. When I looked at her, she was staring at me! "I apologize if I inadvertently hurt your feelings."

"Apology accepted," I said turning back to the French doors, this time walking out of them, into the garden and away from the Prince.

"Wait," he called behind me.

I cursed silently; he'd followed me outside; so much for a dramatic exit. I turned back to face him again.

"We are a perfect fit," he stepped close, crowding me. "Our marriage will be beneficial to you and your kingdom."

"You say 'will' like you've actually proposed and I've actually accepted. Neither has happened and I'm not interested in you, even a little."

He stepped back as if I'd slapped him.

"I'm sorry, was that rude?" I blinked up at him. "I guess, I'm not your traditional queen. I wasn't sitting here waitin' for you to choose me to marry. My mother is human, my father is dead and I've been raising my daughter on my own for years. You can judge me and my kingdom as much as you'd like, but I don't plan on making it easy for you to become their king. You're basing the possibility of a marriage between us on all the wrong things."

"I am basing it on tradition and my father, the king has deemed you acceptable."

"Acceptable and exceptional," I said, "Now I'm really flattered."

"I don't understand what I'm saying wrong," the Prince said, his dark brows coming together in confusion.

"Exactly," I said, turning and walking quickly away from him.

***

Later that afternoon, I was walking around the ballroom with Trilla as she pointed out imperfections in the settings or the flowers or seating arrangements and scribbled notes. I ran my hand over the back of a covered chair and sighed.

"Your majesty, is everything alright?"

Before I could respond, heavy footsteps started across the marble floor. We both turned to see who approached. I couldn't hide my surprise as Prince Irial's female security elf stopped in front of me and curtsied.

"Hello," I muttered. "I'm sorry, I was never told your name."

"Selka," she said; her voice just as one would imagine from looking at her. Her voice was stern, and her tone was terse.

"Hello, Selka."

"Your majesty, I would like to tell you that the prince has taken offense with your position on marrying him. He believes that you are in a position to encourage the marriage."

I gazed at her a moment. "What do you think?"

Her grey eyes went wide with surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I asked what you think. You heard the conversation, you were there. Was I out of line?"

She glanced at Trilla who nodded and shrugged at once.

"Well," Selka said, as if she was stalling. "I don't think you're wrong."

I laughed. "That's a long way to go around telling me I'm right."

"I personally believe that love should be the first and most important reason for marriage." She self-consciously tugged at her long braid.

"Tell your prince that I meant him no offense."

"Yes, ma'am." Selka turned to Trilla and smiled nervously. "My brother wishes to speak with you. He waits in your office."

It was Trilla's turn to look surprised, but Selka didn't stay long enough to explain further.

Trilla turned to me, stumbled out a goodbye and left through the door closest to the hallway by her office.

I stood in the beautifully decorated ballroom and sighed. It was the first time in a long time that I'd been left alone. It was gloriously quiet. I realized that I was dreading this Royal Dinner. If I didn't manage to get things changed, I could be forced into an arranged marriage and lose Tolem forever.

I decided to retreat to my room for the rest of the afternoon. I was strung so tight, one false step and I might snap like a rubber band.

***

Being dressed for the Royal Dinner was actually fun. Trilla hovered as two other women made sure every inch of me was clean and pristine. I sat in a pink chenille robe as a blonde elf did my hair. She pulled it into a gorgeous updo with strategically falling curls. Trilla fussed with those curls and gave instructions for my makeup. I kept myself from rolling my eyes as Trilla discussed eye shadow shades as if it was life or death.

Another elf, with lustrous black hair and huge green eyes had finished steaming my dress. She brought it over and I was put into an amazing sea-foam green gown. The bodice was fitted, with boning that cinched my waist in nicely. The skirt reached the floor, flowing like water from the bodice.

After my makeup was done, Trilla checked her watch and clipboard. Trilla wore a simple black gown, her hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. She could have passed for Secret Service.

Trilla led me out of my bedroom as I was thanking the women who'd done so much work to make me presentable. Tolem was outside the door, dressed to kill in a tuxedo that seemed cut to fit him especially. A ghost of a smile tipped the corner of his mouth. I took that as, "Hot damn woman, you look gorgeous."

I gave him a small nod, which I hoped he interpreted as, "You're looking pretty damn sexy yourself, mister."

The two of them walked in front of me down the grand staircase. The entire castle was filled with lights, flowers, music, and the sounds of tinkling glass and small talk. Fanfare was played when we reached the ballroom door. I closed my eyes and pictured Lady Ilyn and my mother. Lady Ilyn was genuine royalty, she had the game down. She knew just what to say, when to say it and when to shut up. Her mannerisms were flawless. My mother, while not royalty, was a proud woman who had managed to keep her head up even as a single mother and a black woman living on her own in the south.

I straightened my spine, put my shoulders back, and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, Trilla was smiling at me. She stood a bit in front of me, beside Tolem, but had turned to meet my eyes. The fanfare finished and they walked forward. I followed; keeping the smile I'd given Trilla on my face for everyone one in that room.

I almost let my smile slip when I entered the ballroom. It was wall-to-wall well-dressed elves; and they were all staring at me. I'd never been in a room filled with so much beauty. Elves were uniformly gorgeous, no matter the skin-tone, eye-shape, or body-type.

Trilla and Tolem led me to the head table, which was at the far end of the ballroom. My mother, Ella, and Lady Ilyn stood as I approached. I nodded to Baer and Neele. Tolem pulled out my chair and I claimed my seat. Everyone followed me, shuffling into their own seats after I'd taken mine.

Dinner was served: carrot and leek soup, green salad with radishes, pears, and almonds, followed by quinoa with curried tofu, and finally strawberry rhubarb tarts. The meal was amazing. Ella was getting sleepy by dessert and I bid her goodnight. Neele picked her up and she rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were already half-closed as he walked with her out of the room. Some women rose from their chairs to coo at her or pat her back.

After dinner, I was led to another room where I stood close to the entrance with my mother and Lady Ilyn. The receiving line started and I got to shake hands with royalty from around the world. The queen from Guam wore a beautiful white dress decorated with red hibiscus flowers; her think black hair shined and her brown skin glowed. Her king wore long a long white tunic top over black pants, his shoulders were broad and his dark features smoldering. They presented me with a basket overflowing with tropical fruit. I thanked them graciously for the fruit and for the gifts they'd sent before. Things went on for over an hour in the same vein. I was given many gifts and forgotten just as many names as they were told to me. I hoped Trilla was keeping track of both on her clipboard for thank you notes later.

Once the meet and greet was over, Trilla excused us to another room. This one was smaller and Tolem immediately locked all doors by one. I sat at a table, my mother sat beside me holding my hand tightly. Across from us was an empty table, long with a starched white table cloth. I let out a nervous sigh and squeezed my mother's hand.

Parliament filed in quietly. There were twenty men and women, all different, from all over the world. I had just met them, but I couldn't have given one name if someone held a gun to my head.

"You're majesty," a small woman, with a large voice who sat in the middle of the table started, "we were informed you have issue with a long-standing marital law."

I looked at my mother and stood. "I do, but first I would like to thank you for attending this evening." I took a slow deep breath as they gazed at me. "My issue is with marriage. I have been told that I cannot choose who I marry."

"My Queen," a tall, white-haired man said on a sigh, "you can choose who you marry, as long as you choose a royal."

"In all fairness, I realize that these laws have served since the beginning, but I am the product of a relationship between a royal and a non-royal. My father was a king and he loved my mother. This law separated my parents. My father fulfilled his obligation and married to satisfy the law, but his sole heir is me. I am half human, but I am queen."

The small woman looked bored.

I looked at my mother and she stood from her seat. "I'd like to say something, if I could."

The small woman drew her eyebrows together. "It is not done to have a human in these procedures, much less let one speak."

I glared at her. "She is my mother!"

My mother put a hand on my arm and smiled warmly.

I locked eyes with the small woman and she frowned. "She may speak," the woman said grudgingly.

"I loved Dominic Edward St. Germaine. I loved him before I knew he was an elf. I loved him before I knew he was a king. I loved him after he left and I loved him when he never came back."

My eyes filled and I sunk into my seat. I'd never heard my mother talk about my father. She would give me small bits of information about him as I grew up: his hair color, his eye color, his height, or how much he'd loved me, but she'd never discussed him in depth.

"He was an honorable man. I know he loved his daughter, I knew it all along. When things got tough from time-to-time, an envelope of money would arrive with no return address. At times the refrigerator would be empty and suddenly, I would have a couple thousand dollar credit at the local grocery store. I never had to pay a dime for my daughter to eat school lunch. He was always there for us. I never married anyone else. I never loved anyone else."

She paused and took a deep breath. "I don't want my daughter to be alone like I was alone. I want her to be loved; I want her to be happy. If certain royals can amend laws to allow a woman heir to take the throne, I'm sure there is something that can be done about this situation. Certainly, you are at least as progressive as them."

A chuckle came from a woman at the far right of the table. She bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain brand-spanking new princess. Her ears stuck out of a sheet of straight brown hair, her eyes were grey, and her rosy pink cheeks lifted as she smiled. "I'm quite certain we are," she said with another laugh.

The small woman rolled her eyes. "We will consider your situation and let you know our decision.

I leapt to my feet. "Thank you."

The entire table stood in unison and filed back out of the room.

Trilla let out a sigh of relief once Tolem closed the door behind them. "That went well."

I dropped my head into my palms. "That's what you consider going well?"

"Whenever the answer isn't no straight away, it went well."

I looked up into Trilla's brilliant eyes and laughed a loud laugh. I had to let out the nervous energy somehow and with a party going on in the next room, a frustrated screaming wouldn't do.