The Debutante (Season Series #2)

Chapter 27: Mindless of Manners

I met the queen's eyes, holding them this time as I allowed the silence to stretch on between us. Adelaide cleared her throat to speak, but the queen held up a slender hand.

"I'd like to hear Elizabeth's answer first," she said, still staring me down. I knew the answer she wanted, but as I looked at her, my mind ran over all the ways she had interfered in my life in the short time since I'd been exposed as Andrew's favourite. When Audra's face rose to the forefront of my thoughts, I made my decision.

"I would bankrupt the noble," I said evenly, "The villagers shouldn't have to suffer for the sake of a broke noble's poor decisions. They are his responsibility and if he is unable to provide safe living conditions for them, he has no business remaining as their lord ruler."

The silence was so complete that I could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Adelaide had gone ramrod straight beside me, but out of the corner of my eye I could see Ashley fighting a smirk.

"And what of the noble's suffering? Do you think he'll still be loyal to you after you ruin him?" the queen demanded, her voice quiet despite how quickly her chest was rising and falling. Even though I was growing to hate her, I begrudgingly admired her ability to control her temper.

"Yes, because true allegiance is not something that can be bought," I said, forcing some of the queen's icy calm into my voice despite my racing heart, "If he cannot understand that his duty is to his people is paramount, then he does not deserve his title and it should be given to someone who does."

"So you're saying that the villagers' quality of life is more important than that of their liege lord?" the queen demanded.

"Why should an entire village suffer when the situation can be easily remedied by replacing one lord?" I replied.

"Do you think it is easy to simply 'replace' a lord?" the queen asked, incredulous.

"Easy or not, I think it would be preferable to exposing an entire village to diseased water. Surely their lives have some value to you? You are their queen, after all," I snapped, my stomach tumbling as I realized what I'd just said, leashing my temper a few seconds too late. Adelaide gave a little gasp beside me and Ashley settled back in her chair smugly.

"Do you think that the lives of commoners are equal to ours?" the queen asked coldly.

"I think that every life is of equal value, no matter their station in life or the clothes on their backs," I said, lifting my chin defiantly.

"And what of the knowledge in their head? Do you think that a stablehand's life is as valuable as Andrew's?" the queen demanded. Ashley and Adelaide both gave a little start at the mention of the prince, while I felt a sick feeling of satisfaction that I'd finally flustered the queen into showing her hand.

"He is the future king," I said slowly, wary that she was attempting to back me into a corner by bringing up the prince, "His life is clearly more valuable than anyone else's in the kingdom."

"Then what if the choice was to ruin Andrew or save an entire city? Or a whole country? What would you do then?" the queen asked, leaning forward across her desk. Even though she was no taller than I was, I felt as though she were towering over me, her icy blue eyes glaring daggers at me. I forced my temper down as my stomach got to twisting. So this was where she was headed with all these questions. I wondered whether she would claw my eyes out for what I was about to say. I had strayed far enough from the answer that she was looking for that I might as well go as far as I dared.

"If he is to be a good king, then he should understand that at some point he will be forced to decide between himself and his subjects," I replied, "Knowing him as I do, I very much doubt that he would take the coward's route to spare himself at the expense of so many others."