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“Correct,” she said. “Midar and the Elves are the same. We have thousands of years of shared history, losses, and triumphs. The Elves would do everything in their power to keep an outsider from ruling them. But you are not an outsider. You are one of us.”
That was not how we Midarians saw it. To us, the Elves were a separate people. We might have shared a common history, but we were different now. And those differences caused tension between our peoples.
She sighed and her eyes turned sad. “I just wish I could have been there for my daughter. Maybe things would have turned out differently if I had been. My daughter’s rule has dissatisfied not only Midar but also the Naga, Halflings, and Dryads in Manzimor.”
I opened my mouth to refute that, but she shook her head.
“Don’t try to make me feel better, child. I know the truth. And so does my grandson. He knows he has to work twice as hard to regain the trust of our citizens. But with you by his side, he has a chance.”
Midar had suffered after the Hundred Year’s War and the Elves hadn’t been there for us when we needed them. Wounds like that took a long time to heal. If ever.
“Is that why a Midarian wife was chosen?”
All mortal races were young blood. A wife of Midarian heritage would have symbolized a new era of cooperation and peace between our two peoples. Not only us, but also the other races of Manzimor. It signaled that the Aeglire and the crown also cared about their interests. A passive-aggressive way to signal their power over everyone.
The Queen Mother nodded. “It was my idea. I wanted to give my grandson an extra push in the right direction. And I thought that a Midarian wife would be the perfect way to do it.”
“It was a bold move,” I said. “But it didn’t work out the way you wanted.”
“I disagree.” She looked at me, her expression serious. “I’m entrusting you with a lot. But I know you can handle it. You’re capable. And you have a fire in you.”
“Thank you, grandma,” I said, feeling the weight of her words settle on my shoulders. “What do I need to do about Prince Maedras?”
“Let that fool run after you and growl all he wants.” She looked away as she huffed. “Let him be the man and you be the lady. He needs to learn that he can’t control everything.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“He will,” she said with a dangerous glint in her eye. “Just like his father did. He’s in the wrong and he knows it. You’ll have the advantage as long as you don’t give in to him.”
I swallowed hard. The Queen Mother was a formidable opponent. I never wanted to get on her bad side.
“I understand,” I said.
“Good. The Aeglire is waiting for us. We should get going. I’m getting too old for this.”
The irony of that statement was not lost on me as we laughed our way back to the Mentom. But her words stayed with me. Prince Maedras was going to be a troublesome man to deal with. But I would have to be twice as strong and twice as smart to outwit him. Luckily, I had the Queen Mother on my side.
That was one battle I wouldn’t lose. No man could ever win against a woman like her.
∞∞∞
With trembling hands, I placed the cup down and clasped them together. “I understand, your majesty. It’s just-”
“It’s perfectly normal to be nervous, my dear. After all, this is a big step for you,” Queen Menthe said, her voice gentle and reassuring.
Her husband, Prince Aldaren, gave me an amused look. I swallowed thickly and nodded my head.
Queen Menthe had been kind enough to invite Prince Maedras and me to an intimate tea party in her private courtyard. It was a tradition, she explained, to have tea with one’s future spouse before the engagement announcement.
I smoothed down the front of my dress and took a seat across from Prince Maedras. He was watching me intently and I could feel his eyes boring into me.
That your mother needed to formally invite you to tea with your future wife was a strange one, but I supposed there were stranger things in this world. The Elvish nobility were a notoriously traditional people.
I took a sip of my tea and tried to calm my nerves. Prince Maedras did the same, his eyes never leaving my face.
“You look lovely today, Princess,” Prince Maedras said, finally breaking the awkward silence between us.
I put on my best diplomatic smile and said, “Thank you, Your Highness. You look very dashing yourself.”
