Fantasy

"What is the purpose of today's private council meeting, your majesty?" Vita queries Mircea. Mircea had called for an exclusive council meeting including Athos. She had decided on informing the council about the problem disguised as a witch prince who wanted to marry her.

Mircea didn't know the council well; however, she knew they wouldn't fancy taking orders from a foreign witch prince. Moreover, they wouldn't bother themselves with some problem that Faustina had caused. If she played her cards right with them perhaps they would solve her problem for her.

That didn't mean she wouldn't be married. The moment Mircea received that letter she had known she had to marry someone, one way or the other.

"I received a letter from the Court of Gyyza. As it appears, Faustina and Pyron were still negotiating the terms of the new alliance between the two kingdoms. King Diomedes wanted Prince Wylan, the second prince, to get married to me before I was the queen and now he seems adamant on the marriage." Mircea finishes explaining, the letter is in her hand as she looks up to see why anyone hasn't said anything. They sure know how to be dramatic.

Mircea makes a mental note of taking them to the drama house if she ever upsets them in future. She clears her throat, hoping they would stop staring at her and start talking. She sure knows their dilemma of getting a new prince this soon. It hasn't been a month since she sat on the throne, they wouldn't want a new challenge.

Orpheus starts laughing silently, confusing Mircea and everyone else in the chamber.

"I'm sorry for laughing your majesty, I sincerely apologize to you for asking the next question- did you fall in love with him on your little trip to Gyyza?" He questions with faint laughter on his face. No one else laughs, not even his sidekick, Roith.

Mircea stares at him for a good minute before she laughs a little with him. "Oh, it's funny isn't it?" She chuckles with no humour on her face. Athos snickers from his seat.

"I think we all got what you are feeling right now Orpheus, it would be better if we discuss this matter without you." Vita calmly points her thumb towards the door.

"No, no. I want to hear what he has got to say. The answer to your question, Orpheus, is no, I did not fall in love with him on my little trip to Gyyza. However, I want to know what made you think so." Mircea pushes the topic.

Athos straightens up in his seat, every member of the council has gone mute.

Orpheus gathers himself before answering Mircea "I thought…err."

"Yes? Everyone is waiting." Mircea pointedly looks at him, gathering all her wits.

These people, every one of them is not going to take her seriously and this is where she belongs. Even if she doesn't belong on the throne, no one is bullying her out of it. She, herself will leave the throne if there comes a time.

"You are dismissed from your duties till I say otherwise." Mircea commands.

She doesn't even know if she is allowed to do that. Orpheus looks like he is ready to kill someone. He tries to say something but finds himself wordless.

After five minutes of staring at Mircea, expecting her to go back on her words and facing disappointment, he walks out of the meeting chamber with slumped shoulders.

"Yes, so where were we?" Mircea asks Vita when the door closes behind Orpheus. Athos smiles proudly at her even when she isn't looking at him.

***

Mircea secured another letter from Lilith saying she was recovering slower than expected and she was sorry for not being there for her in hard times like these. Mircea wrote her back saying she should look after her health first and then worry about her later. She had done enough for Slyve. Mircea didn't deny that she missed her dearly and wished for her speedy recovery.

The council was trying to find a loophole in the alliance. They had thrown out the idea of breaking the alliance. Besides, Mircea knew somewhere they had made peace with the defeat if things didn't work out. The council had come up with a temporary solution.

Vita had advised Mircea to bid more time saying they were still recovering from the new damage and it would be stupid to marry in haste.

It was indeed a bright idea; however, the king does not appear a patient witch. A letter saying the same had been sent to the Court of Gyyza. Mircea and every council member silently prayed he would agree.

Mircea and Athos had secretly been working out on finding something they could use against King Diomedes. There is always something they didn't know, which why she was determined to exploit everyone to get the information.

Three days had passed since she last met Urban. She wondered what he was up to; if he was going to stay here by her side, or if he was going to bid Slyve goodbye and never look back.

Mircea was aware of the rumours going around the palace, the servants talked. That is why Orpheus had been joking around the others thinking he could get to her. Oh, just how wrong he had been. Mircea didn't particularly care about the rumours.

Growing up in the palace she was grown accustomed to them enough to not them affect her anymore. Mircea wasn't sure why she wasn't giving up on Urban. She wanted to explore him as a person before she got married to some stuck-up.

She didn't know what exploring him even meant for her, Saints she didn't even know how they had reached this point. Perhaps some things were better unanswered.

Urban was a breath of fresh air and that is what she needed right now.

Mircea still wasn't sure if she wanted the witch prince or not. However, she had time to think about it.

She moved out of her study. The weather was just like her mood these days. Windy and roaring. Now at least these gowns didn't seem that suffocating.

Mircea loved the feeling of strong wind caressing her half-done hair. She wanted to live the monsoon forever, till her last breath because she knew, she knew that the weather will change. Her mood will too, and all those buried, unattended feelings will surface again. Haunting her till the seasons change again.

Mircea was the master of occupying herself with trivial things. She mused if Urban was one of the trivial things.

Athos was busy inspecting Pyron's belonging today. If she took some time off to go sit idly at the library, no one would notice. Perhaps she could take a catnap there. No one visited the palace except for some scholars and Mircea knew they would scurry off once they see her.

Often the palace library succeeded in giving her the adequate amount of solitude she needed. Mircea did not read any books in there; she simply sat there without any commotion and enjoyed being surrounded by the books.

The night is approaching swift and the wind is slowing its pace. The chillness is still lingering, teasing the little human warmth Mircea has left in her body.

She should've listened to the old lady-in-waiting when she advised her to wear a fur coat before stepping out of her chambers.

Mircea treads lightly when she reaches the library searching for a cozy spot for her. The library looks like it always does, dimly lighted with golden lights and furniture made of softwood giving it a snug look. She walks down the last aisle when she hears a commotion from the other side.

She peeks through the small gap between the books to find who it is, she finds green eye staring at her. Mircea yelps bouncing back.

"I'm sorry" She hears Urban chuckling from the other side.

"Urban?" She asks to be sure.

"Yes, it's me." He shuffles around a little before rising from the little space between the stone wall and the shelf.

"What are you doing here?" She queries, checking him out mindlessly. His curly hair is styled backwards not a single strand looks out of place. He is wearing the darkest shade of violet as if he is still in Gyyza and has to follow their stupid house colour rule.

Unlike her, he has donned a thick fur coat, Mircea muses if witches have a lower tolerance to cold weather. No, she says to herself. For Saint's sake, they live in frost for two seasons.

"What do people do in a library?" Urban asks with a sardonic tone.

"There are many things that can be done in a library. Who knows you might be spying our information back." Mircea retorts using the same tone. Urban chuckles at her accusation.

"Did you come here to fight with me?" Urban keeps all the books he picked up from the shelf on the table. Mircea then realizes unlike her he might really be here to read. There are six different books perched upon the soft wooden table.

Mircea skims their title; they all appear fiction novel written not long ago judging from the art on the front cover.

"I did not peg you for someone who likes to read fiction." Mircea voices her thoughts.

"I could say the same for you."

"I don't read." Urban almost doesn't hear her when she agrees to it. His head snaps in her direction in pure astonishment.

"You don't?" He questions her again even after he heard what she JUST said. She simply shakes her head.

"What are you doing here then?" He looks demented with the new revelation.

"To sit?" Mircea answers but it comes out more like a question.

"What?" He looks is a lost puppy, Mircea chuckles at his expression.

"I'm not a reader." She finally states.

"Why?"

"Okay Urban, can we move on from this? It is not a big deal." She huffs.

"Have you given it a chance?" His question seems genuine. Mircea thinks about it before shaking her head again. Urban looks like he is offended. Perhaps reading really means a great deal to him.

"Do you want to give it a chance with me?" His words come out soft like if she says no he will be deeply hurt. Mircea glances at his form, it seems as he needs her to like reading for his sanity. Reading with him won't hurt anybody. She nods at him.

Urban beams at her and picks a book from his stack.

"It will take time, but I assure you it will be worth it." He promises her, she simply smiles tenderly checking out the novels.