Alberu was sporting a headache.
He usually had the remnants of one after corralling the nobles like the aimless cats they were and directing them towards appropriate goals with catnip hanging at the end of a stick.
Very few of them had worked out that the catnip was attached to a stick that could very easily be used for some inadvisable animal abuse.
The metaphor had escaped him. Now Alberu was imagining actual cats getting attacked with a stick and it only made his headache worse.
The point of the matter was that they all lived in blissful ignorance of their own powerlessness and that was how Alberu intended to keep them. Chasing after catnip while doing his bidding and thinking all the way that it was their own autonomy that had led them to their goals.
It wasn't that Alberu didn't find fulfillment in orchestrating the discordant orchestra of disgruntled cats. It was just that his nerves had been somewhat frayed of late.
Penelope Crossman was an accident.
Alberu had about as much intention of having children as he'd had in taking a bride.
The first night was never supposed to happen.
But that was a story for another day. Alberu might have never had any intention of having a daughter but he loved her just the same. He wanted to offer her all the love and support that his father hadn't provided. He wanted to be the sort of father who deserved those bright eyes looking up at him affectionately as she called out "Papa!"
There were just a few problems interfering with that particular goal.
The most pressing one being the dysfunctional orchestra of cats that thought of themselves as nobles.
He was required to orchestrate each movement, so that the sound that echoed across the kingdom was a smooth symphony. It was the best way to keep his kingdom, his people, and his daughter safe.
Alberu had never really mastered the art of delegation. It wasn't that he didn't delegate, he did with great alacrity and an innate skill for finding the right man for the task, he'd just never reached the final step of delegation which was to ensure that the amount on each individual's plate was equal.
Sure, his attendants all had equitable shares. It was just that he didn't include himself in that equation.
So Alberu always took on the absolute limit of what he could manage. Sometimes far more than he could, sacrificing sleep and health to ensure that the symphony of peace flowed flawlessly.
This left him with very little time to dedicate to his young daughter. Which was a big problem if he wanted to shower her in love and affection and give her the best possible childhood anyone could ask for.
Then there was the secondary problem.
"Your majesty. The queen has entered the library." A loyal attendant said, dutifully announcing the queen's movements and most especially her movements when she neared the king's office. "The princess is with her."
Alberu's calm expression didn't twitch one iota. He remained as calm as anything as he stared down at the paperwork in front of him and his headache mounted.
If there was one thing Alberu really needed to figure out, it was how to separate his daughter from that insane woman without causing any further damage to the poor girl. He'd seen how cold Cale was around their daughter, heard the whispers in the halls, and seen his daughter's thousand yard stare that looked far too mature for a child of her age.
Alberu would normally never consider separating a mother from her child, especially considering his past, but every sign led to the conclusion that Cale was at least neglecting the girl, if not something worse.
The trouble was that Cale was adamant about one thing and one thing alone.
She was willing to shed any power as queen, give up land, give up money, and yield to any negotiation but the one thing she would not give up was her daughter. Despite her apparent ambivalence towards Penelope, she fought fiercely to remain the girl's primary caretaker.
She'd refuse nanny's and she'd spit venomously at anyone who attempted to slip between them. She utilized every ounce of influence and power she had as queen into keeping her daughter tightly inside of her clutches.
The adamant obsession with Penelope only caused Alberu to worry even more about what that crazy woman might be doing to his daughter. Unfortunately, short of deposing her he had no options at this time. It was also a dramatic step to take when there was no actual evidence of abuse.
All he had was speculation and an understanding that his 'wife' was a cruel and vapid woman.
There was a time where he thought that perhaps she was something more but... well, he'd been wrong. No one could possibly live as disgraceful of a lie as she had and certainly not for so long. The concept of an individual that stubborn simply bent rationality.
No. Cale was dangerous and demented. Alberu despised knowing that his vulnerable daughter was being primarily cared for by someone so depraved.
He stood up, calmly fixing his cravat and smiling politely at the attendant. "Then I shall be taking a brief break."
With Penelope so close, it was hard not to just rush to her side, scoop her up into his arms, and assure her that he'd protect her from everything. He needed to maintain at least some decorum though. He walked sedately to the library, adjusting his clothes one last time before heading inside.
An observant attendant at his side noted that he always did this before meeting with the queen. It was an interesting habit considering how cold their relationship was. Perhaps he wanted to appear beyond reproach in front of her?
Two pairs of eyes glanced up at him as he entered. Cale was lying crudely along a couch with a sneer on her face while his perfect daughter looked up at him from the stack of books she'd been studiously reading.
Alberu took in the advanced nature of the books and his heart ached. Was Cale forcing her to read those? Had she lost so much of her childish joy already that she didn't enjoy a more age appropriate picture book?
He could only speculate.
Penelope stood up and approached him and he prepared himself to accept her into his arms, prepared his heart for the adorable cry of papa and felt his headache and heartache all lessen with the mere anticipation of spending some valuable time with his beloved daughter.
Penelope stopped a few feet before him, her even gaze pinning him to the spot in an unnerving way. With the graceful movements befitting of a princess, she curtsied.
"Your majesty." She greeted, her voice icy cold and lacking any of the innocence of a child.
Alberu would have felt less pain if he'd been struck across the face.
Kneeling down carefully in front of his daughter and attempting to ignore the anxious pounding of his heart, Alberu smiled softly at her. "Hello, Penelope." He wanted to ask her why she wasn't calling him papa or at least father. He wanted to demand answers from the witch who was leisurely watching the scene from her position across the library. He wanted to understand what had changed in his short time apart from his daughter. He stowed it all up though. He didn't want to scare her or pressure her. "What brings you to the library today?" He asked instead, hoping to start a conversation.
Penelope's gaze was as sharp as her mothers. "Am I not allowed to be here, your majesty?"
Ow.
"Of course you're allowed." Alberu soothed gently, ignoring the agonizing prickle in his heart. "You may go anywhere you wish within the palace."
"What if I want to leave?"
Alberu's heart stopped and his smile froze.
The indescribable pain twisting up his gut was agonizing.
"I'd like to visit my mother's family." Penelope clarified and Alberu noted with a wrenching feeling that Cale was still mother while he was your majesty.
"...oh." Alberu said dumbly, gathering his wits to reply to his daughter with kindness. "Of course you may." He had absolutely no issue with anyone from the Henituse countdum aside from the horrible woman he married. Besides, there was nothing on this earth that he had the fortitude to deny his daughter.
He rallied magnificently, setting a plan in mind as he continued. "Let's all go as a family."
The squawking sound of disgust coming from Cale didn't deter him in the least. In fact, now that he knew she didn't want him going, he was far more determined.
"Yes. I'll make the arrangements immediately." He smiled softly at his daughter, hopeful that this would warm her chilly expression. "When would you like to go, Penelope?"
Perhaps it was his imagination but he could swear he spotted a hint of agitation in her expression.
"You don't have to come, your majesty. I know how busy you are."
When did she become so eloquent? She'd always been a mature child but it was horrible to think that she felt the need to be considerate of him.
Perhaps it was his own fault the distance between them had grown like this.
"I'm never too busy to make time for my princess." He assured and made all the appropriate calculations in his head to arrange the trip.
Alberu Crossman was about to become very good at delegation indeed.