One
Queen Emeline
THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
“Prince Ludwig, Duke of Miltenburg, has sent the queen yet another gift,” says Lord Louis, my most faithful knight, with a crooked smile.
He bows as he offers a small silver trinket box in his hands. The sizable red-and-blue jewels encrusted on the box are rather lovely, but the prince should know by now that the bedazzling of ornaments won’t change my mind.
“If there is a severed ear in there, I will not be pleased.”
Louis muffles his laughter with a cough because this is hardly the time to be making jokes, especially when my ealdormen look on with sour scowls on their faces. But I cannot help it. The Prince of East Francia must accept the reality that I will not marry him—now or ever.
However, I humor my court as I accept the box from Louis.
My three ladies-in-waiting stand off to the side, attempting to conceal their hilarity as they remember the last gift Prince Ludwig sent. Just in case anyone has forgotten, I have left the monstrosity on display as a reminder that I do not need nor will I ever want a king to rule my kingdom, especially one who is rumored to stand at a miniature height of five-foot-one.
The gift I speak of is a painting of Prince Ludwig and his beloved strapping black horse, Phillipe. He is depicted as robust and tall, leading his men into battle. However, the artist, I believe, had quite a wicked sense of humor because, looked at from a certain angle, it appears the prince is rather fond of his horse, or rather, Phillipe’s arse, because if I didn’t know any better, I would think the prince engaged in bestiality as he mounts the horse indecently.
Prince Ludwig clearly asked for his manhood to be the focal point, as mayhap, an aphrodisiac for me? All it did was raise questions about whether he was aroused because he was about to ride his horse—and I mean that in every literal sense of the word.
Poor Phillipe’s mouth is parted wide, eyes filled with fear.
My heart bled for the dear horse.
My mouth, however, was filled with laughter at Prince Ludwig’s attempts at “wooing” me.
I leave this painting on display as a reminder that no one will ever rule my kingdom but me.
Opening the box, I hold my breath as I pull away the white silk. Wrapped beneath are a set of pearl earrings. They are lovely. Too bad I despise pearls.
Slamming the lid shut, I offer the box back to Louis. “Lord Louis, give these to Lady Clementine. I am sure your wife will have more use for them than I.”
Gasps sound around the court. My ealdormen are horrified that I am defaming East Frankia this way. I would think they would be accustomed to their queen being defiant, but I do like to remind them every now and again.
“My queen, if I may speak freely,” says Ealdorman Rufus, the weasel who once served my father, King Eanred, and favored my brother, Aethelred, before I cut off his head, that is.
I smile at the memory of finally ridding that twisted smile from his monstrous face.
It’s in battle where blood is spilled, and the guttural screams of victory vibrate in my loins do I feel most alive. This is hardly orthodox for a queen to behave, but bathed in the blood of my enemies is where I belong.
The crown that sits upon my head, however, does not allow me to partake in battle any longer, as my children are too young to rule. My sacrifices will not have been for nothing, as ensuring the safety of Northumbria and my people comes first.
If anything were to happen to me, I know rodent ealdormen like Rufus would seek out Aethelred’s children, whom I was not aware he had until after his death, and help them take the throne. They are the rightful heirs, but they have my brother’s blood coursing through their veins. Therefore, they are a danger to me and my kingdom.
They are in the care of monks, but I know it’s only a matter of time before they come for my beloved and me in Northumbria. They will learn of their heritage one day, even if they are bastards, and when they do, I will be ready.
But for now, I have other pressing matters to deal with, like Ealdorman Rufus.
“What is it, Lord?” I ask, unable to keep the annoyance from my tone.
“Prince Ludwig is a sensible choice of suitor. By selecting a foreign prince, we enforce our ties to the kingdom of East Frankia. This alliance secures Northumbria's future. We would be unstoppable in battle. Trade. Please, do not act with haste.”
The court falls quiet because they know I do not take kindly to being told how to rule my kingdom.
Straightening out my red dress, I take my time to reply because I wish to watch Ealdorman Rufus grovel on his belly like the serpent that he is.
“Do you claim to know the future, Lord?”
