Moonshine Royale // Bethyl

I

"All right, but I'm staying with you," Beth gave in to her father's wishes, taking a seat behind all of the cameras and crew.

It took them only a few minutes to get everything started and on the air. Hershel made a short speech about the conflicts with Central, and he promised that he would resolve them soon. Beth wasn't too sure what conflicts they had, but she strongly suspected it to have something to do with the fact that the last time they got a shipment of crops from them, they were infested with worms. She stood up after Hershel finished his address, ready to help him back to the living area, but Hershel wasn't done talking.

"I also wanted to take this time to announce that my daughter, Princess Beth, will be traveling around the region over the next few weeks," he said into the camera. Beth was confused because she hadn't agreed to that. "She'll be stopping in smaller towns, and her goal is to help solve community problems. The towns will be announced on the evening news. Thank you."

"Daddy, what's that about?" Beth questioned as soon as the cameras stopped rolling. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Bethy, quiet down now. Take me to my bedroom, and we can discuss it in there," Hershel smiled and left the media room after thanking the crewmembers for their efforts.

Beth let her feelings out as soon as the door to his room was closed, "Daddy you're dying! I'm not gonna' leave you!"

"Now, Beth, you heard. Dr. Edwards. I've got a year to live, and two weeks away from me isn't gonna' hurt you or me," he replied. "We both know that I'm gonna' die, and when I do, you're going to take the throne. Maggie married into the Northeast, so the Southeast will be left to you. I want you to get political experience before you get in here and have no idea what to do. You leave tomorrow."

"You're right," Beth sighed. "I need to learn while I still can, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that I wanna' be right by your side until the end."

"Nothing's going to happen to me while you're gone, and if it does, you can be back here in an instant. You know how our planes are. You'll never be more than half an hour away from me at a time."

"I'll go if you want me to," she reluctantly agreed. Beth was concerned about her father's health, but she also knew that he had a point. She needed to learn how to rule over her people before it was too late for her to learn from him.

"There's another thing I want to talk to you about," her father addressed. "I only have one dying wish."

"Daddy, don't say that yet," Beth mumbled, becoming aware of the tears that were threatening to spill onto her cheeks.

"I just want you to know, Bethy," he frowned. "Before I die, I want to see you fall in love and get married. I want to walk you down the aisle at your wedding; I want to crown you as queen and your husband as king."

"Daddy, I-"

"Just hear me out," Hershel cut Beth off. "I don't want to pressure you, and I definitely don't want to pass on the throne to someone who isn't worthy of it just because you wanted to please me. I just want you to be a little more open-minded when you meet someone."

"I will," she promises, kissing her father on the cheek. "I'm going back down to the clinic to relieve the volunteer nurses. I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too, honey," Hershel forces a smile at his youngest daughter as she leaves his room.

On her way down the hall, Beth saw her favorite worker, Carol. To everyone else, she's a maid, but Beth didn't like to call her that. Carol was more of a friend to Beth.

"Good evening, Your Majesty," Carol stopped walking to courtesy.

"Carol, I've already told you that you don't have to do that, and please, call me Beth," she smiled.