The Worthy

Chapter 2

"WHAT?!", I slammed my hands on the table after they told me what they had planned. I did not even care how much my injured shoulder hurt from my action.

"Calm down, your highness", Minister Edmund placed a hand on my uninjured shoulder to calm me down.

"No! I will not accept this idea! It's outrageous and it completely strips me from the little freedom I have!", I shouted in my rage. I do not usually lose my cool like this but this is just too much.

"Your highness, I know it's not an easy task but you know why we have to do this. You are constantly throwing yourself in the front lines of a battle and if, God forbid, something happens to you then the throne will be left empty, and as Lady Beatrice have said, what will happen to this country?", the Mayor of Atlas, Sir Gordon Harlow, explained in a composed voice, yet I can hear a slight urgency in his tone.

"How can you decide something like this without considering how I would feel?", I said bitterly.

"We did, your Majesty, but you left us with no choice. You wouldn't give up on being a warrior and we are growing more and more anxious every time you leave for war", another one of my Ministers stood and explained.

"You knew this would happen one day, your highness. You know you would eventually have to give your country an heir", Sir Gordon spoke again.

"In other words, you need a king", the Mayor of Wren, Sir Davich Henry, said in a tone that annoyed me.

"I do not need a king!", I shouted solidly through gritted teeth."How dare you?! I am the Queen of this country and so I should be the one who decides!"

I am no control freak and I always, always consider every single opinion everytime I decide on something. I listen to every thought and every idea they present to me. I never make hasty decisions. I always make sure my decisions for my country is the best and I have never failed. But this? This is personal. This is something I, and only I, should be deciding on.

"You may not need a King, but look at your people, Sera. They need a King. And in the future, they need an heir to the throne. You have already proven yourself in battle so don't you think it's time to consider other things?", Ministress Helga, my adviser and aunt by blood, said in a serious voice.

Helga was my mother's sister but she posseses no royal blood as my mother was not born into royalty. She was a commoner whom my father, the King, fell in love with. My parents had the freedom to choose who they fell in love with so why can't I?

"Do you think I throw myself into danger because I just want to prove myself? I do that because I want to be a ruler who actually protects her people–"

"And you have done so, Sera. You have protected your people but you can still do so even just by sitting on your throne and doing what a Queen actually does. We won't stop you from being the warrior that you are because it us who raised you like that in the first place. But it's time to find a worthy husband in order to fulfill your duties as Queen. It's long overdue. You are turning 20 in two weeks time and that is when you will meet the men we have chosen for you", Helga continued.

I closed my eyes in anger and my hands balled into a fist. I know if I stay here, I might forget what manners are. I eyed my officials and made sure that my rage was reflected in my eyes before I turned to leave. As I got to the door, I heard Lady Beatrice's voice as she spoke to the officials.

"She'll come around"

---

My feet brought me to my room where I was immediately greeted by my trio of handmaids. I forced myself to smile at them and before one of them could speak, I spoke first.

"I'll do things myself tonight, girls. Just bring my dinner up here at 8 please", I said. They hesitantly looked at each other but nodded otherwise. They've been my handmaids for so long that they already know that when I dismiss them, it means I have something I want to think about.

"Thank you. And Jane, please go tell Alexander to send the battle report to me tomorrow. Tell him I'm busy tonight", I smiled at them and they bowed to me before turning to leave.

As soon as the door closed, I let out a frustrated groan. I pulled on my hair and allowed myself to fret on the events of earlier for a few seconds before I composed myself. I walked towards my bathroom and found that my maids have already prepared my bath and my nightgown. I stripped out of my dirty and blood-stained military uniform and plopped down into my bath to cool my head. 

"We all have agreed in deciding that you are to be married two months from now. In the five days that you were away, we have sent an invitation to 20 men we saw qualified. Rest assured that every single one of them is eligible and is up to your standards. These men will court you for two months and after that, you will choose one who you see as worthy to be your husband and King"

I recalled the absurd idea in my head. No matter which angle I look at it, it is simply improper. I know a time will come that I have to eventually marry and give my country an heir, but I never wanted it to be rushed. I wanted to do that on my own when one day I see a man who is actually worth my time. Isn't love supposed to be done on your own accord? Aren't you supposed to be the one deciding who you fall in love with?

I groaned in annoyance and lept out of the tub after cleaning myself up. I watched myself in the mirror. Rosy cheeks and hazel brown eyes looked back at me from the glass. My damp, waist-length, reddish brown hair flowing freely behind me.

Free?

I never had freedom. I was born into a life bound to duties for an entire country. And in my case, the burden came a little earlier when my parents died. It was the most traumatizing sight and I would be lying if I say it didn't scar me for life because it did.

I was only 9 that time. A child barely even able to stand on her own two feet when she was forced to watch her parents get murdered in front of her very eyes. It was an attack from rebels. My father was a great King but he had his loopholes. He wasn't a perfect ruler and the rebels could not understand that and so they attacked. The guards were able to defeat them before they got to me but it had already costed my parents' life and I was already left orphaned.

And since then, I was raised by my advisers. They treated me like a diamond, taught me everything I needed to learn to be a ruler of a country before I could even start mourning over the death of my parents. That was that until I turned 13 and I had just about enough of being a prepped Princess. And that's where I met Alexander, he was the General's son. He taught me how to wield a sword and fire a gun. And when my advisers saw that I was happier at being trained like a soldier than sitting inside posture lessons and tea-making, they allowed me to be a warrior. And ever since then, I've been trained as such. On the day of my 16th birthday, I was officially crowned as the Queen of Nymeria.

And I did a hella good job at being Queen. I rose my country from ashes by actually listening to the people and immersing myself with them. Something the board members could never do because they were all too swallowed up by their pride as nobles. But I didn't care about status and the board members couldn't do anything about it once I became Queen. Now, Nymeria is one of the richest and most powerful Kingdoms in this planet and that's how I proved myself to everyone that even a single woman can make so much difference. And so of course, there are many prying eyes that aim to trample down my glorious country. But no, Nymeria will not be harmed, not while I am the one sitting on the throne.

I vowed to protect my Kingdom so no other child has to suffer what I was fated. No child will ever have to watch their loved ones die before their eyes.