Lady Galvin lays in bed feeling Alvis's arm draped around her holding her close as she stares forward, thinking to herself. she shifts hearing the door jilt and a peasant girl motions to her. she fidgets out of Alvis's hold and walks forward into the hall meeting the girl as the girl motions down.
"a message my queen." she eyes the envelope with the Galvin seal and motions out to he girl who walks away from her Queen. she sits slowly on a small bench in the hall and opens the sealed envelope reading the words. she closes it over and tucks it into her clothing. Slowly the queen walks out into the gardens and eyes a man standing there as she slowly makes her way towards him. she stops inches away and eyes him over as she asks.
"what is it, Ruck?"
He bows his head deeply to his Queen and she stares him down asking.
"what does Alvis's little pet want?"
"only to serve the throne." He gets to one knee and looks up at Lady Galvin with a smile and she turns her head asking.
"plotting smile? you had the same smile when you asked to be placed on my brother's duty. so what exactly do you want Ruck?
"to inform as a Reaper should."
"hardly a Reaper..."
"yes well, I wish to inform you about Alvis's deceit..."
"that's all this family does is backstab, murder and rape" She sits slowly on a bench in mid-Garden and Ruck stands closeby and whispers.
"do not consummate this marriage, my lady. he will push the right to rule onto you tomorrow and you will be powerless.."
Lady Galvin remains quiet and Ruck asks.
"is it too late?"
"we agreed we would tomorrow to celebrate. why would you betray Alvis like this?"
"my lady years serving him, the coverups, the rapes, murders, and the innocent people without remorse. you, you aren't bad. you wish to change this world, and could"
Lady Galvin sits there thinking over his words and glances up asking.
"don't pretend to care about woman's right in the monarchy-"
"hardly and I would never pretend to but I see opportunity. I am not dumb enough to step away from it."
He bends down close to her and whispers.
"give me the title I deserve and I will be sure Alvis keeps his place-"
"you? a whore's son the very whore who betrayed my father's trust-"
"he raped her daily. she killed herself to get away. it was barely a betrayal just her only way out-"
"and what did that do for you?" Ruck looks to the floor and he shakes his head.
"it made me strong I endured father's hate and did as I was told. I earned my place as a Galvin."
"did you?" Lady Galvin gets to her feet and Ruck takes a step back afraid of the firstborn daughter and she turns her head asking again.
"silly boy, you think you have earned anything? not true you were given it out of pity for sure but earned?"
Ruck stands there and she fixes his nice clothes as she comments as she stares over the young man in his fine navy blue clothing and whispers.
"you're just a toy for our amusement. Alvis played with you quite often didn't he? your so nieve I bet you didn't even get it. what he was doing to you?"
"what he was doing to me?" Ruck asks unsure and lady Galvin turns her head as she pouts.
"the rape he made you watch, and made you commit. didn't you ever wonder why?"
She watches Ruck eyes shift to the floor and she lets out a small laugh.
"we would all meet up for drinks on occasion and laugh about it. foolish little ruck Galvin putty in his hands. you so wanted to be one of us a Galvin but you'll always be that whores son and you'll never be one of us..." Ruck feels the tears well up in his eyes and lady Galvin grips his face wiping his tears with her thumbs as she whispers.
"that isn't bad Ruck.."
He shoves her hands away yelling at her.
"don't toy with me! I am Galvin!" Lady Galvin turns her head and Ruck bows his head.
"my lady..."
"Shhh..." She presses her finger to his lips, leans up and kisses them and he stands still not resisting her kiss feared of her. she steps back looking him over and nods to him.
"you will serve this house the right way Ruck and in exchange maybe you can keep that title.."
"I've already been given a title-"
"I am the queen..." She stares him down and he stands there afraid of the woman and she asks.
"do you want this title?"
"of course.." she gets to her feet and places her back to a column staring down the younger man and waves to him. he steps closer and she smiles letting the light shine over the man showing his features as she comments
"it's disgusting how much you look like him." she pulls him by his jacket close to her and whispers to him.
"kiss my neck."
"what?" she presses his head to her neck and whispers.
"don't speak..." she runs her hand through his hair as he softly kisses her neck and she buries her head in his jacket as she avoids being seen by the nearby guards staring their way.
********************************************************************************************
The Queen sits there still thinking over her actions the night before and smiles to herself. she glances back hearing a knock and Ruck walks in nodding to her.
"my, my lady. you have been summoned to a room."
she turns back and Ruck keeps his head bowed and the queen stares him over as she asks.
"new clothes?"
"custom..." he grins and she shakes her head.
"don't do that you look like father when you do.." he shifts his eyes down remaining silent and he follows after her out the door and down the hall. she enters the room and Ruck enters behind her shutting the door and placing his back to it. Alvis stands there in the bedroom eyeing his wife and nods his head.
"my wife." she smiles fondly to her husband and nods her head.
"Are you ready then, husband? the battle with Edmond is tonight?"
"of course." he glances at his blade placed on a nearby table and asks.
"How was your night?"
"my night?"
"yes, your night..." he motions by her to Ruck and Ruck remains quiet as she glances to Ruck than back to her husband as she lets a small laugh.
"a small tryst with Ruck is barely a night." Ruck shifts as Alvis glances up as he shakes his head.
"The good news is none of the guards noticed but Ruck did right and reported your poor choice to me directly."
Alvis motions to Ruck.
"lock the door." Ruck turns back locking over the door and Alvis whispers motioning to Lady Galvin.
"I don't want to know the details o what he did to you..." Alvis shifts his eyes and ruck plasters a small smirk as Alvis smirks back knowing what occurred. He turns his head back to his wife and demands.
"we will consummate this marrie, right now." Ruck sifts his feet and Alvis demands motioning to Ruck.
"no one comes in here.."
"Should I go, out, outside?" Ruck goes to leave and Alvis comments.
"no, stay..."
*****************************************
The Queen sits there stairng forward in shock letting he tears roll down her face as Ruck motions down to the cup water.
"you should drink..."
She glares up to Ruck commenting.
"you set me up."
Ruck takes the water and holds it out to her.
"drink you are still the Queen"
"for how long?" She stares down the cup and Ruck sits elegantly in a chair staring down his sister as he comments.
"you survived your father's monarchy -"
"his monarchy was a joke. it was built on paranoia and lots and lots of killing. he once sent Knox who wasn't even a man yet. He sent a boy, a child to slaughter a village."
"and you are not him." Ruck states firmly and she glances up to her brother as she remains quiet listening to Ruck.
"you are still queen he hasn't announced his right to rule yet. you can move swiftly order the guards to torture him, I will fight in his stay in your name and i will beat Edmond."
The queen laughs.
"you? you will beat Edmond the inhumane?" She glares to Ruck and comments.
"nobody cares about you Ruck. they are here to see Alvis, to see Edmond. they can care less about some whore's son who happens to be a Galvin that's your place.."
Ruck's neck bulges in anger and the queen turns her head examining the rage in her young brother's eyes as she comments.
"you need to hear the truth. you will never be anything else in history but that. we can give you all the titles, all the gold, and all the fancy royal clothes but that is who you are.."
The queen leans forward smiling at the man and she whispers.
"a peasant, a disgusting vile man. you will always be the man next to Alvis cleaning his messes"
"not if Alvis is not around." he states coldly and the queen turns her head as ruck nods to her.
Ruck rummages through his jacket pocket and drops down an envelope as he motions.
"as a Reaper's hand, I have the right to know the laws as deeply as any other Reaper and they go deep and twist and turn." he motions to the envelope and whispers.
"you should read it."
she leans over her hand shaking and opens the envelope taking out the printed piece of paper and eyes the words as she asks.
"Is this true?"
"laws are laws.." She glances up and ruck smirks as he comments.
"But I will always only be that peasant, won't I?"