Her Rightful Place

33: The Prince

To the Royal Princess Mireille of Vyrunia, may this letter find her in good health and much happiness,

I am glad to hear that both you and Christelle are doing well and that your pranks are successful. I am sorry that I could not be more helpful to you in that respect, but it seems that the two of you are doing quite well despite this lack of assistance. I am also flattered by your invitation to your Sanctification ceremony and will do my best to attend. If I cannot come in person, I will most certainly send Jerôme in my stead.

It does worry me, however, that the invitation to the Midsummer's Eve Ball has piled yet more lessons and requirements upon you. I confess that I did not think of that when we were discussing the reinstatement of the Ball. Of course, my opinion would not have mattered if it were contrary to the Queen's, once she was fixated on the idea, but I do hope you will forgive me for my oversight. If it is any consolation, it has caused many problems here, as well. The Queen is constantly at odds with her advisers, who quite wisely will not permit her to be in charge of the decorations for the occasion. She wanted the ballroom to be decked in decor from her Torture Wing, but we managed to dissuade her from that course on the grounds that it would make your mother most uncomfortable. Take heart in that her religiosity serves some good purpose.

Regrettably, the Queen sent more than two dozen servants and artisans to the Torture Wing today for failing to please her with their decorating suggestions. Jerôme and I managed to get the majority of them out, but we cannot rescue them all, or the Queen would know that something was amiss. As things are she blames her jailers for being lazy and unobservant, and as such she reassigns the soldiers there frequently. The jailers do not mind this in the least, for even they find her actions deplorable. But I shan't write of such things. You have enough to worry about without thinking of the plight of the Queen's prisoners. The Duke and I are doing the best we can to alleviate the problem. True relief will come when I finally take my place as King.

There are no real adventures in the rescuing of servants, though I do wish I could provide respite for your starving intellect. We simply sneak into the Torture Wing, rescue as many as we can, and lead them out through secret passages and circuitous routes so as to avoid detection by Her Royal Majesty. I do sympathize with your lack of reading material. I myself hanker for good reading from time to time, but alas, most of my reading now is dispatches from foreign delegations and reports from various inspectors and advisers and the like. I'm afraid it's all terribly dull or I would share some of the contents with you. I'm sure that, when the suitors come flocking to you after your Sanctification, you will find that you have more than enough to stimulate your intellect. I pray only that you do not forget me in the raging sea of marriage offers that will soon surround you.

I myself have played that game a bit, but the Queen ended that sport fairly early. She was once terrified of the prospects of marrying me off because of the implications that would have concerning my inheritance of the throne. It seems that the prospect of an alliance with your fair nation outweighs her terror, or she simply has not thought that far ahead in her excitement. I suspect that the latter is true. Anyway, I would advise you simply to employ the skills you have doubtless learned from your instruction in proper etiquette to charm your suitors and then demurely refer them to your parents, who will undoubtedly be rid of them for you in due time. Your father may indeed keep some around, but this is purely for diplomatic purposes, and perhaps, as you theorized, to irk your mother in return for her frequent tactlessness in pursuit of her own interests.

Perhaps that is too harsh. I apologize again, but I must say what I think, even if it brings your righteous scorn upon my head or incenses the God you are being taught to worship. Out of pure curiosity, how much of the religious teaching do you actually take to heart? I know you believe in God, but I strongly suspect that your faith and your mother's are quite different. As for me, well, you know I am not technically permitted to believe in any sort of deity aside from the Queen, who is frequently called a she-devil by those within the palace. It is difficult for me to think the existence of a loving God possible under her rule, but your faith in spite of your past sufferings has inspired me to think again.

Alas, the hour is late, and I will have just as many headaches and rescues and arguments with the Queen tomorrow as I have had today. But know that you also inspire me with your refusal to change yourself to fit your new position. I have long refused to become like one of these spineless courtiers who surround the Queen, and it is encouraging to know that someone else is also fighting to keep a spark of self alive in an environment that stifles such sparks whenever it can. Keep practicing your trade, and encourage Christelle in her mischief. In spite of such supposedly undesirable qualities, you are more a lady than any of the painted, posturing women who surround you, village seamstress or not.

Yours truly,

Xavier