Alliance

Chapter 13- Regina

Regina

Latin

Queen

-
Love has tied your little wings,

sprinkled you with cheap perfume,

set you fainting in the fire

and given you, in your thirst, hot tears to drink.

-

"Sanya- Sanya!"

Sanya turned in surprise, and saw Edmund running up to the courtyard. "What is it? Is Jem-"

"No, no, Jem's okay. I just- one second." He held up a hand to her, as he breathed heavily before straightening up. "I didn't- do you- Happy Anniversary."

"Oh. Yes. Happy Anniversary to you too." She replied normally, though her heart was thumping.

"I didn't get you anything- I don't know if you expected a gift- I mean, I didn't even remember-"

"Nor did I." She couldn't bring herself to give him a comforting pat on his shoulder, which was strange because she'd given him more than just comforting pats on his birthday. "It's alright, I swear."

“Ah, good, but- I thought, what with Jem, and us growing closer-”

"We aren't growing closer." She said sharply, cutting him off. "We're friends, at best- don't misinterpret it, Edmund."

"Yes, I know that, Moonshine, I just thought-" He tried not to show the crushing disappointment on his face- why did he feel like that? He hadn't come out expecting a declaration of love- in fact, he'd expected a similar thing to what she actually was saying. Then why?

"Wrong." She felt clammy, and shook her head quickly. "You thought wrong, Edmund- if you thought we were anything but married only in name and title."

"I-"

"I have to spar now. Bye." She avoided looking at his face as she spoke.
Turning around, she kept her face impassive and emotionless as she walked away, working hard to not look back at him.

--

"Sanu!"

Sanya didn't quite have to force herself to smile as her mother threw her arms around her, pulling her in for a very tight hug. "Hello, Amma."

Pulling away, she smiled up at her dad, "Hello, Abba."

And to her surprise, her father pulled her in for an embrace as well.

Absence did make the heart grow fonder, it appeared.

"Where's Bhai?" She inquired about her little brother, after she had stepped away from her father- and got her question answered in the form of another tight hug from Sameer.

"Anyone else left?" She asked dryly after she had ruffled her brother's hair and taken his hand in hers- he was nearly to her shoulders now. Despite the dryness in her voice- oh, she had missed him.

Edmund forced himself not to laugh, and stepped forward, holding Jem's hand. "Hello, Your Majesties."

"King Edmund, welcome to our home again." His mother-in-law smiled, before she and her husband took notice of the small boy clinging to him. "And this must be-"

"Jem. James." Sanya nodded, quite visibly nervous. She felt so much joy at returning home, but she couldn't help her nerves. "My- our- son."

"Hello, sweet shona.” The High Queen had blinked- but now she smiled warmly at him, and extended her hand. "I'm your grandmother."