The Places We Go

Chapter XIV; Anastasia

It was done.
I was married.
Beau was sad.
I was sad.
Everyone else was happy.

They had finally reached the cabin for their honeymoon, that Ideus' parents forced them to go on even in this war time. They were honeymooning in the Zellarid mountains, her favorite place back home. She used to go hiking with her father and, after his death, Beau. Oh, Beau. Anastasia thought. She wrote a letter to Faormen addressed to him, for she had no time to talk to him after the marriage ceremony.

Oh my dearest, dearest Beau,
I hate how we left things that night up to the wedding. I wanted to talk more, hear what you had to say. Then at the wedding, that glance, your sad face, bent in an expression I have never seen on you before; despair. I've seen despair, but never on you. You've always been positive and up-beat, so when you are sad, I know you must be dealing with something horrible. That's the thing, before the wedding I had only seen you sad, never in despair. I wished we could've talked but unfortunately that was not the case. Ideus has made it known time and time again that I should be happy here, in "your precious mountains" as he calls them. But that's the other thing, they've never been my mountains, for they are our mountains. Me and you Beau. We have so many memories together that take place here, some of my fondest memories even are here, with you. I am so very sorry. And I am sorry for rambling, though you know I don't mean to. The truth is, I love you too. I realize now that I always have. I repressed it because I didn't think you felt the same. I know better now. But, this was also for the better. I love you, I always will, but in the folktales the Queen can never marry the farmer without a fairy godmother or a magic totem. We have none of that here. I am so truly sorry, I really am. This is just something I have to do. That we have to do. Unfortunately, my kingdom and its citizens must come before my heart. If we could, you would be here in the mountains with me instead of Ideus. That's why I've decided to murder him. The union has already been formed. I am the Queen of Faormen, and once Ideus is dead, I shall make you my King. I love you, Beau, and am so glad we've finally admitted it to each other. You shall be the King of three worlds, Beau. Zellarid, Faormen, and my heart. You've already conquered the latter, and soon the other two. I love you, my soon-to-be King, and I shall do everything in my power to make it to where we can be together, forever. All my love,
   Anastasia
P.S, please hide this letter with your life, King. Keep and cherish it, but hide it. Should our plan get out, I'll end up like Ideus is about to. Please, my love, please.

Anastasia rolled up the letter and tied it up with a pretty green ribbon, Beau's favorite color. She had ordered a message crow to the mountains, and sent the letter off to the crowmaster to be properly delivered. She sat on the porch of their mountain cabin, thinking about what she had just admitted. Beau's love, Ideus' murder, Anastasia's plan. Ideus came out onto the porch where she had been sitting. Anastasia tucked the pencil into her long sleeve as she heard the door open. She didn't take her eyes off of the view as he sat next to her and began to speak.

"Are you alright? You've been silent since we left Faormen."

"I'll be fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"Ideus, please, leave me be."

"Anastasia, we're married"

"Ideaus, leave me be."

"We're married."

"Leave me be."

"Anastasia!"

"Leave!"

      Anastasia looked over to Ideus, who looked at her. Anastasia's face was bent with anger, Ideus' tinted with confusion. "Ideus, please, leave me be." Ideus did the opposite. He grabbed her hand and examined the ring that was on it. "Anastasia, I'm your husband now. Whether you like it or not, I am. And as such I think I deserve to know what's bothering you." Anastasia drew her hand back, and this time he let her. "I have some things I need to process. Personal things that even most of my closest friends don't know. I have wounds to lick, a bed to make so that I may lie down. Please, let me sort my thoughts." Ideus glared at her. "It's that Beau man, isn't it? I knew something was up with that. He doesn't seem right in the head. He seems like-" Anastasia cut him off. "What? Beau is what? He's been my best friend since I was a child. He gets me, I get him. No one else does. He's the only one who knows everything about me. He, he-" Anastasia got cut off. "Oh just say it already!" He barked at her, both standing up now in anger. Anastasia was flaming mad. "I love him. I can't believe it was you that got to me first." Anastasia smacked him so hard he stood stunned. She spoke again, but in a raised voice.