Manon's Ascension

Awkward Beginnings

Honestly, she hadn't seen much of her husband since their wedding. Which was both a problem and a relief.

A relief because Manon wasn't entirely sure she was ready to go to bed with him. They had been raised as cousins when they were young, but then had separated for so many years that they didn't even recognize each other when they met by happenstance a few years ago. She didn't see her young cousin when she looked at the man he had become. They barely ever saw each other back then anyway, and when they did, his insane mother never liked them to play together. She had married a man that was practically a stranger and it was odd to think about giving her body to him.

But that was a problem because they needed an heir.

Jacques was a bastard. He was not actually her cousin by blood. He had been born by the rape of his mother instead of coming from her uncle's loins. Manon had the true birthright to his throne. But he had been the one raised to take it. Their union was a perfect combination that satisfied the law, ensured peace, and didn't seem to the Gascony citizens like a foreign princess  coming to steal the throne.

But to make sure that their claim remained strong, that their peace would endure, Manon needed to produce his legitimate child.

Something that was hard to do considering their various duties trying to save a kingdom that had been decimated by war constantly pulled them apart. One or both of them was always working late and there were times Manon had gone days without seeing him. For their comfort, they had their own rooms that were connected by a door, and the separation made it easy to miss him in the few scant hours of sleep they managed to steal.

Then, just as it seemed they were finally starting to get things under control, Jacques had insisted she attend her brother's wedding and her sister-in-law's coronation as queen. Not just because they were family and loved her and she wanted to be there, but because a peaceful visit to their enemy would be a good thing. Thanks to that, she hadn't seen her husband at all in weeks.

Manon bit her lip, nervous as they approached the palace. There was an airship hanger built at the top for the royal ship, the one she was on. It meant she could land in the city without going to the public docks and being enclosed meant rain couldn't even touch them. It wasn't their idea. They had inherited the system. But it was a good one considering that Manon was not well liked.

Jacques, despite being a known bastard, was still the prince his people had been raised to expect as king. He helped rally and protect his people during the war when his mother's madness nearly killed too many innocents. He commanded the rebel armies that had helped take the city from her in the final battle of the war and place Jacques and Manon on the throne.

The people loved their king.

They were less enthused about their queen.

Jacques did not fight her claim as the true heir. Though he had been eager to marry her, thereby earning his crown legitimately, the people couldn't help but see her as a foreign princess. Not even a foreign queen. Her detractors specifically called her 'the foreign princess'.

It would probably be more insulting if that wasn't exactly how Manon felt.

Soft grunts turned Manon's eyes as someone climbed up the mast after her. Not using the ropes as she had done. The tiny, blonde girl was climbing the mast itself with all apparent ease. Manon turned forward again as she stepped to the side, making room for Amorette.

Her personal paladin. One that had refused to swear herself to her king in Vasconia and instead had sworn herself to Manon and followed her here when she became queen of Gascony.

A life of malnourishment had stunted Amorette's growth. She was short. But her body had filled out with beautiful curves since she had become a paladin. She was tiny but beautiful. She also had a perpetual smile on her face that she flashed at Manon as she dropped down beside her in the nest. She wore pants instead of skirts. Usually because Amorette could often be found climbing and jumping high in the air with her incredible strength.