Chapter 25

The next morning, Thérèse and Bernard stood in front of Bayonne's castle. They had packed up their belongings, and were preparing for the journey home. The scattered rain of the previous few days had left what little visible ground there was wet and muddy. 

"Do we have everything?" Bernard asked. He quickly scanned over their luggage, which was strapped to a small bench attached to the back of the carriage. Even though they had both done their best to pack light, the bench groaned with the weight of the boxes. Bisou stamped impatiently at the front of the carriage. 

"I believe so." Thérèse responded. Just then, Henri came out of the castle. Bernard smirked and gave Thérèse a sideways glance. He cleared his throat. 

"I guess I'll leave you two to it." He said. He boosted himself into carriage and shut the door. Thérèse turned to speak to Henri. She hadn't been able to say much of a goodbye, as she had risen early in the morning to pack, and Henri had still been sleeping. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He smelled like the forest, and his coat was soft fur. Thérèse pressed her face into the ticklish fibers as they embraced. 

"You almost forgot something." Henri said. Thérèse furrowed her brow. She was sure she had checked, and everything was accounted for. Henri opened his fist to reveal the little gold rose necklace he had given her what felt like an eternity ago. Thérèse laughed and sighed. She had taken it off the night before to bathe, and had been so exhausted she hadn't remembered to put it back on before bed. 

"How could I have forgotten? I'm glad you brought it. I would have missed it terribly." Thérèse turned around so Henri could put the necklace on her. His rough hands brushed against the base of her neck as he did the clasp on the chain. When he finished, Thérèse turned to face him again. She took both of his hands in hers. 

"You'll come back?" He asked. Thérèse stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the cheek. 

"I'll come back." She whispered. "I promise." Henri again pulled her into a tight hug, like he was scared of letting go of her. After a long moment, Thérèse pulled back. 

"We need to get going." She said. Her eyes welled with tears, and one rolled down her smooth cheek. Henri wiped it away with his thumb, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He opened the carriage door for her, and watched her as she climbed in opposite Bernard. The driver clambered into his seat at the front. Henri reached out to Thérèse and kissed the top of her hand. He slowly closed the carriage door, and told the driver they were ready. 

A whip cracked across Bisou's rump, and she started a slow trot. Thérèse pulled the curtain aside to look out the back window. Henri stood and watched as they left. Thérèse stared at her lover as he grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing into the landscape. Once she could no longer see Henri, Thérèse let the curtain fall back into place. She sighed, and slumped in her seat. 

"Are you alright?" Bernard asked. He'd always been awkward when it came to feelings, especially matters of the heart, but Thérèse appreciated he was trying. 

"Yes." She responded, "It's just hard. I'm going to miss him terribly." 

"Of course." Bernard said. He was looking to quickly change the subject. "Are you ready to be instated as Queen?" Thérèse nodded a reply. The idea brought on a small burst of nerves in her stomach, but she knew she'd do well. Her mother had been training her for this her entire life. 

"I don't think I'm going to have the ceremony, though. Of course, I'll say the vows and get our religious leaders' blessings. But I don't want the party and the commotion. It just doesn't feel right, especially so soon after my mother's passing. Celebration in the midst of mourning just seems cruel." Thérèse explained. 

"I understand. That makes perfect sense. I want to support you and be by your side, Thérèse. That is, I guess, if you'll have me." Bernard ended the question hopefully. He gave Thérèse an inquisitive look. Thérèse scoffed. 

"No, Bernard, I'm going to banish you from the kingdom the moment we return." Thérèse responded sarcastically. 

"Honestly, I wound't put it past you. Especially with that temper that your mother gave you." 

They went back and forth like this for a bit. Eventually, Thérèse fell asleep, nestled into one of the corners of the carriage. Bernard pulled the curtain on the door back and watched the landscape pass by. 

The long journey went by fairly quickly. It was rather uneventful. They stopped every so often to cook meals and give Bisou a break. Thérèse read books, and Bernard studied war diagrams. They talked, and laughed, and told stories, and did anything they could to pass the time and break the monotony of carriage travel. 

Finally, they arrived back in Argence. Everything looked normal, just as they had left it. They moved slowly down the main road to the palace, stopping and starting as pedestrians crossed the busy road in front of them. A few children attempted to peer into the carriage, but were quickly yanked back by their parents. Bisou reared up once when a stray goat crossed her path, but the driver was able to calm her down quickly. The gates creaked open as their carriage approached the castle. 

Thérèse sighed as they rode through the gates and the carriage stopped. As happy as she was to be home after all of the misadventure she'd experienced, her heart already ached for Henri. Bernard opened the carriage door and climbed out first, then helped Thérèse down after him. The footman unhooked Bisou and handed her off to a stable boy. Thérèse felt a small pang of grief in her chest as she was reminded of Olivier. One of the new gate watchmen came to start unloading their luggage. Thérèse and Bernard hugged their goodbyes and went their separate ways, back to their individual chambers to recover from the trip. 

Thérèse asked one of her servants to draw her a bath, and immediately stripped off her travelling clothes. She was sweaty from being bundled up against the cold, so much so that she felt she was sticking to every surface she came in contact with. Thérèse submerged herself in the lukewarm water. She tilted her head back and rested it on the smooth ivory edge of the tub. Thérèse felt like she hadn't been truly clean in weeks. Watching the little pink flower petals float by in the bathwater felt like a slice of Heaven. 

Three Months Later

Thérèse ran her fingers through her thick brown hair as she took her seat at the head of the table. It was time for the weekly advisors' council meeting, and new problems had arisen like clockwork. She sighed as her newly-appointed lead advisor, Bernard, handed her the agenda. Bernard's father decided to retire in the wake of the previous queen's death, and Thérèse was more than happy to nominate Bernard to fill his spot. 

Thérèse had been officially instated as Queen of Argence a few days after they'd returned from Bayonne. It had been a private ceremony. Only Bernard, an officiant, a few religious leaders, and a handful of advisors had been in attendance. Despite her efforts to keep the amount of attention the ceremony received to a minimum, gifts, cards, and well-wishes poured in from the residents of Argence. They had loved her mother, but they loved Thérèse more. As much as she appreciated it, it made Thérèse nervous. She hadn't even had a chance to do anything of note yet. What if she disappointed her people? What if she couldn't live up to the image of her they'd created in their heads? 

Thérèse called the meeting to order and they began. Rough weather had caused a few merchant ships to sink or run aground. They were requesting help from Argence's leadership. 

"Approved. Whatever they need." Thérèse nodded at the treasury advisor, silently giving him permission to delegate a large sum of money to helping the merchants. 

The meeting continued steadily. Proposals for trade from other kingdoms, a quick presentation on the training of new troops, and a few other odds and ends that the advisors wanted Thérèse to be made aware of. Overall, a fairly average council meeting. As Thérèse and Bernard stepped out of the meeting chamber, a servant quietly approached. She curtsied in front of Thérèse. 

"Yes?" Thérèse asked gently. She was still trying to break the habit the servants had of not speaking until spoken to. She hated that they put her above themselves. 

"A visitor for you, your Majesty, a woman." The girl replied. 

"Thank you. I'll receive her in my quarters. Send her up in ten minutes." 

The servant girl nodded and hurried off to relay Thérèse's message. 

"There's never a break for the Queen of Argence." Bernard teased.

Thérèse scoffed and rolled her eyes in response as she strode towards her room. She freshened up, and asked a lady-in-waiting to bring in some fresh tea and pastries. The lady-in-waiting set them on the table as Thérèse took a seat in one of her plush blue armchairs. Much had changed in the palace since Thérèse took the throne, but she had left her room the same. Its decor was a bit childish, but her parents had designed it, and she felt it was important to keep it the way it was. Almost as soon as Thérèse took her seat, a knock came at the door. A servant entered to announce the surprise visitor. Thérèse silently hoped he would announce Henri, but the small bubble of hope she had quickly burst. 

"Lady Runda Aramesque, visiting from the kingdom of Mentiras." the servant cried. Thérèse felt it was a bit much, as she was the only person in the room, but still nodded politely. Runda silently entered the room. Everything about her was quiet. Even her footsteps barely made a sound. 

She was tall, and slender, almost to the point of looking lanky. She had silver gray hair, tied neatly with a black ribbon at the base of her neck. It curled slightly at the end, disturbingly reminding Thérèse of curdled milk. Her spindly fingers were clasped together at the base of her stomach. Neatly trimmed but slightly yellow fingernails scratched occasionally at pale, blue-veined skin. She wore a black sheath dress, made of a simple fabric. Worn velvet lines the hem and wrists. Thérèse could tell it smelled musty just by looking at it. The fabric reached the floor, and trailed slightly behind Runda. It rustled near her knees as she walked. Her back was perfectly straight, and her chin was pointed. Grey eyes peered kindly at Thérèse. They seemed to be the only feature of the woman with a hint of life left. Thin lips turned into a slight, polite smile. A roman nose twitched a few times. 

The servant left the room, closing the door behind him. Runda curtsied politely, and Thérèse motioned for her to sit in the other blue chair across from her. 

"Pleased to meet you." Thérèse said with a charming smile. "How can I be of assistance?" She picked up a cup of the steaming blueberry tea and began to stir a pinch of sugar into the warm liquid. Runda let out a sigh. 

"Well, I doubt that you'll believe me. But I figured coming here was worth a try." Runda's voice was surprisingly smooth. Based on the woman's appearance, Thérèse expected a croaking, rough voice. Runda's was almost pleasant to listen to. Thérèse took a sip of her tea as she considered how to respond to the woman's statement. 

"Well." Thérèse set her teacup down. It clinked against the small porcelain plate that donned a matching design. "Why don't you go ahead and tell me what you travelled all this way to tell me, and then I'll decide whether or not I believe you." Another smile. Thérèse leaned back in her chair. She crossed her legs and clasped her hands over her knee. Runda took a deep breath. 

"I knew your father." She started. Thérèse did her best to remain expressionless. Any mention of her father always brought up emotions she didn't like having to deal with. Thérèse nodded silently, waiting for Runda to continue. 

"I guess 'knew him' is a bit of an understatement. We were related. I'm his sister. Which means, Thérèse, that I'm your aunt!" Runda broke into a grin. She leaned forward onto the edge and flung her arms wide open, waiting for Thérèse to leap up and embrace her. Thérèse stayed seated. She cleared her throat. Runda's face shifted to a puzzled expression. She blushed, embarrassed, and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed. 

"Honestly, I thought you'd be a bit more excited to meet your long-lost aunt." Runda said, annoyed. Her black stiletto heels clicked against the floor as she shifted in the chair. 

"I would be." Thérèse answered. "That is, if I had a long-lost aunt. I'm sorry, Runda, but my father was an only child. Once his parents had an heir, they chose to stop having children." Thérèse felt a small pang of pity for the woman. She was clearly mentally ill. Why else would she show up here, out of the blue, claiming to be related to Thérèse? Attention-seeking? Asking for money? Thérèse reached forward and handed the woman one of the pastries on a napkin. Runda continued as she took it in one of her claws. 

"I know it's a bit of a surprise. Your parents did have an heir, and a spare. I, my dear, am that spare, in an odd way. I was born several years before your father, and I know I look it." Runda took a moment to savor a bite of the pastry she still held. A few crumbs tumbled onto her black dress, but she quickly brushed them away. 

"Your grandparents were insistent on having a male heir. Since I was older, I would technically be ahead of him in line for the throne of Argence. When my mother found out she was pregnant again, this time with a son, I was sent away. There was a commune of women in the southern parts of the kingdom. They lived away from the city, deep in the wild forests. My mother and father came to an agreement with them, and I was taken in by the group at ten years old. I lived with them into my early adult years, about the same age you are now."

Thérèse was still skeptical, but wanted to know more. She pressed Runda further. 

"How did you end up in Mentiras? That's quite a ways away from Argence, even if you were in the southernmost region. Also, your last name is different. If we were related, would we not have the same last name?" 

Runda cleared her throat to continue. The rough noise made Thérèse cringe a bit. 

"A young prince came to Argence one day. He was on a hunting trip, and was also searching for a wife. He chased a deer into our encampment, and encountered me and several of the other women who lived there. Turns out, he had a fetish for "wild women" as he called us. I was the youngest. He decided I was to be his wife. I didn't want to go, but the other women encouraged me. They knew what family I was from, and thought that if I had a chance to return to my royal roots, I should. Plus, he was handsome, and seemed kind enough. So I packed up what little I had and made the journey all the way back to Meritas with him. We were married, and at first things were alright. His name was Antirimen. I settled nicely into my new life, and enjoyed everything the palace life had to offer. I thought it was a blessing, and that I had been returned to my rightful place. I could not have been more wrong." 

Runda cast her eyes downward and swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. She shed a few tears. Thérèse offered her one of the silk napkins that had come with the tray. Runda whispered a thank you and dabbed at her eyes. After drawing a shaky breath, she settled back into her chair. 

"He turned cruel. Like I said, he had a fetish for wild women. He wanted me to fulfill that. He forced me to live naked in the woods, even in winter. He and his friends would make a sport of watching me try to survive. I had learned a lot from the women who raised me, but Mentiras was a different environment. It was much harder to sustain a life there than it is in Argence, but I figured it out. Once I was stable and didn't have to fight for my life anymore, Antimiren and his friends got bored.

They started hunting me, like a wild animal. Antimiren loved it. It became almost nightly. I still have scars from their arrows and knives." 

Runda ran a gentle hand over the top of her thigh. Thérèse could only imagine what her fair skin looked like underneath the black dress. 

"Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to act. Antimiren would often come into the woods so I could perform my physical duties as his wife. Normally he would make me run, so he could chase me. But one night, I waited for him. I hid in the trees. When he appeared, I dropped down and slit his throat. I had a few friends in the palace who were sympathetic to my situation. One of them managed to smuggle a knife to me. 

I left him there until his hunting friends found his body. They told everyone he had died in a hunting accident, when he was out alone. They didn't want to call it a murder. That would scare the people of Mentiras. After his death, Antimiren's nephew took the throne. It would have been me, but Mentiras' constitution doesn't allow for female rulers. Antimiren's nephew always felt that his uncle treated me terribly, and asked me to move back into the castle. He couldn't let me be Queen, but he was able to give me the royal title and all its benefits." Runda paused, waiting for a response from Thérèse. 

Thérèse inhaled deeply through her nose.

"I feel for you, Runda, I do. Especially if everything you've told me is true. But I still have a hard time believing you're related to my father. I think that if he had a sister he would have brought it up at least once." 

Runda nodded. 

"I knew you'd have a hard time accepting it, and I understand why." Runda said. She reached down the front of her dress and produced an aged, crumpled envelope. She held it out to Thérèse. As Thérèse opened it, she gasped. The content of the letter was nothing special. But it was written in her father's handwriting. Runda could never have gotten this unless she knew Thérèse's father. 

"Where did you find this?" Thérèse asked with a shaky breath. 

"Once your father got older and learned what your parents had done to me, he tried to write to me. He wanted to contact me, and make things right. I didn't get the letter until I was already living comfortably in Meritas after Antirimen's death. I didn't respond. I didn't want to risk seeing our parents again. I was worried they would kill me if I showed up in Argence. I heard of his death a few years later." 

"So why show up now? After all this time?" Thérèse was feeling a swell of emotions, and was worried she wouldn't be able to contain herself much longer.

"Your father died of a fast-acting illness, right?" Runda asked.

"Yes." Thérèse whispered. 

"Wrong." Runda said. Thérèse jumped at the sudden harshness of the woman's words. She furrowed her brow and stared at Runda, waiting for more information. 

"Your father was poisoned. They killed your father and they were planning to go after your mother. Unfortunately for them, someone else got to her first. And now…" Runda paused. She raised one spindly, ghoulish finger towards Thérèse.

"...now they're coming after you."