The Reluctant Queen

Chapter 2

We arrived at my father's castle at Willow and were welcomed grandly. Almost too grandly. I know he loves and missed me, but this was the greeting he and my mother received when they traveled. There were horns and more servants to tend to me and the children then I had ever had. Even growing up as a princess. Or maybe I had just learned to live as a simple country woman and it all seemed too much. I knew that not to be the case as my father and mother greeted me in the great hall.

My children, servants and I all curtsied and bowed to their majesties. My father, King Alexander and My mother, Queen Pluminah were in their fifties but they seemed to never age.

"Tye, how we have missed you." my father said as he embraced me, then my mother did the same.

"How was your journey?" she asked.

"Long." I replied.

"Though worth it if only for me to look upon the faces of these beautiful brown angels, come my hearts, Grandmom has missed you so much." She spoke, arms outstretched.

Terry fell into her arms as Quai hid behind the skirts of her nurse.

"I see someone remembers her grandmom not, no matter, you will." and she produced a magnificently made doll from behind her back. This seemed to bring Quai out of her shell. She took the doll and the kisses my mother left on her face. Her rouge was famous for making the children in our family look to be bruised. We could always tell when someone had seen the queen, her full and perfectly shaped lips were left in whatever shade she decided for the occasions on their sweet little faces.

She had passed her lips to me, though I had never been one to make my face up. I was rather a tomboy growing up to honest. Maybe that is why my father favored me. I was, at least to him, the closest he had to an heir before my brother was born as I loved to hunt and run and learn of ruling at he and my mother's knee.

My father sent us off to change from our riding clothes and rest. Though he was sure to tell me he needed to see me before dinner in his meeting room. He embraced me again, I curtsied and did as I was bid. As I was lying in my chambers, my mind would not allow me to rest. What intrigue was this that I was called here? As I thought on it there was a knock on the door.

It was my younger sister, Shamire. She entered, curtsied to me, "Your highness.", She then dove on me as I laid on the bed. We laughed and embraced.

"How are you sister? You never write, why?" I asked of her.

"I never have time, father more often has me at some court or another. I feel as if I am a prized pony he is showing off." she sighed and fell back on the bed.

"That is because you are. As we all were." I laughed.

She threw a pillow at me but I laid back just in time.

"You are a woman now. It was around now that I was married. Father has his heir, and he uses us, his daughters, to cement alliances. There is almost no one of account that does not have some relation to father but by his children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews."

"In that, you are right." She agreed.

"Question for you, dear sister. As I know how you like to sneak around our old listening perches, do you know why father has summoned me here?" I inquired of her.

"I only wish that I knew. I was away visiting Mopsy and the boys when he sent for you, I did not know until I had returned." She lamented. She loved a good rumor or bit of gossip.

Mopsy, who was named for our mother, but given that nickname as a child, was our eldest sister and married to the very rich Duke of Greenway. She has two sons, who were almost teens now and were wanted by almost every noble family for their daughters both far and wide.

"How are they? I miss them so."

"Rich and haughty as ever." We both laughed. Though we knew it to be true, we also knew our sister and nephews to be kind and funny, so all else was excused. "There is some talk that Arness is soon to be betrothed to the Marquess of Woodlands eldest daughter."

"No!!, he is barely twelve!!" I yelled.

"They would not marry until they were sixteen from what I understand, but she would go to Greenway to be taught to be a good wife to a future Duke by our sister."

We both burst out in laughter at this utter ridiculousness. Another knock came on the door and there stood my two ladies, Lethia with Nicole and two of my servants.

"What in the world is this, a fool's show? We heard your laughter a hallway over, and this castle has thick walls." Lethia said with a smile.

"Well, I assume the fun is over as I must be readied to meet father." I sighed.

My sister stood and they all curtsied to her as she walked over and hugged Lethia and Nicole.

"Take care of my sister, and be sure to dress her well, she has always liked to dress as an old maid." she laughed and ducked out of the room as I threw a pillow at her and everyone laughed.

"Well ladies, shall we." Lethia said and they began to prepare me for my father and the feast to follow.