Duty

Chapter 13 Queen in waiting

Euridice sighed. “How long do you think to be gone, Vara?”

“For as long as she needs me,” Vara answered calmly.

“If it were only a day,“ Euridice said kindly, “then I would send you gladly, but for a longer stay…”

“I fear my wife is right, Vara,” Caius spoke, “especially now. You are needed at court. We can’t have both of you gone at the same time.”

Vara turned to him confused. “Both?” she questioned.

Caius nodded. “My son has agreed to send Cyrus and a small delegation to Tireze in order to celebrate his marriage. It is custom.”

Vara’s eyes went wide and she looked at Ariane.

“My father insisted,” Ariane said, “since he cannot come to the wedding.”

“For how long?” Vara asked. Why had she not heard of this?

“I would not know, my lady,” Ariane answered, “my brother informed me last night after you had left. The king must know, or your brother.”

Vara’s mind was spinning. If Cyrus had known, would he not have told her? Unless he hadn’t known until last night. Or did Darius have something to do with this new revelation?

She needed to speak with the king. No matter how busy he might be.

***

Iason Tessarae sighed as he stretched his leg in front of him. It had been two weeks since his commander had sent him back from the front to heal from his injuries. The battle had been fierce. His horse had fallen and his leg had been trapped underneath. He had a limp now and it was hard for Him to bend his knee.
The physician had said it would take a while for him to recover.

The king himself had visited him in the infirmary to praise him for his courage and proven service. Now he was on his daily walk in the palace gardens.
They weren’t open to the public, but as a soldier he had permission to enter the grounds.
He had come to love this tranquil place with its fountains and vegetation. It gave him peace of mind.

Still, he longed to be back on the battlefield. Not because he wanted to fight, but because he hated sitting idle. He missed riding.

It would be weeks before he could try sitting on a horse again.

He had returned to the city at a busy time. He had heard about the recent engagement of the prince with the princess of Tireze. It would bring prosperity to the kingdom. The army could use more men. They were having a hard time holding the border.

Because of the engagement, the palace had been buzzing with people. He wasn’t comfortable with crowds. It was different in the army, where everything was organized and disciplined. He liked it that way. He liked knowing what was expected of him.

So he was glad he could retreat every once in a while.

Slowly he got to his feet. If he remained seated for too long, he would get sore and his leg would be stiff for the rest of the day. He needed to keep moving.

With a sigh, he turned his back on the fountain and trailed down the path.

***

“My lord king,” a servant cleared his throat and waited for the king to acknowledge him.

King Marcos looked up from the document he needed to sign. “What is it, Aeneas?”

“The lady Vara requests an audience, your majesty.” Aeneas bowed deeply.

The king sighed and rubbed his temple. He had been expecting a visit. He was just surprised it was so soon. The prince of Tireze had only just left.
He was well aware that Vara and Darius did not get along. It was a good thing they hadn’t openly displayed their dislike for each other. If the public had gotten wind of it, they would have forced him to interfere.