Chapter 3 The queen's ally

- Of all the battles I have faced in my long life, this is the most difficult and painful of all. - Don't say that, your majesty. I am sure that, in the kingdom, there will still be allies waiting for your return. Queen Abigail, who managed to escape from the prison where she was held against her will, had taken refuge in a residence located on the borders of the Northern kingdom with the Western kingdom. Due to his long period of confinement and his advanced age, it took him months to recover. And after knowing everything that had happened during her absence, she thought that it was best to remain hidden until she was sure to locate those people she could trust. However, time flew by. Those three years were, for her, a sigh. It hurt him quite a bit to learn of the death of Princess Miriam and, also, of the massacre that Princess Jade carried out in those distant lands of the “Old World” to have them under her control and found the first colony far from the continent. Although she always sought for her daughters to support her with the colonization of other lands, she never intended for the tribes that lived there to be reduced by the royal army. And, unlike the kingdoms located on the Tellus continent, the rest of the world lived precariously and wildly. Traveling to those continents was like going on a trip through time, where people lived like animals and used the ruins and other artifacts belonging to ancient human civilization to build their homes or create primitive weapons to defend themselves from predators. Queen Abigail thought that these people should live on their own. He had no desire to intervene in their customs and traditions, although he appealed to start businesses and reach important agreements to be able to use their lands peacefully. However, Princess Jade proved to have a different opinion and, as soon as she was granted the regency, she authorized the invasion of those tribes to decimate them and appropriate their resources with the use of force. Just thinking about that made me feel very distressed. Her ally, who visited her frequently, interrupted her thoughts by saying: - Your granddaughter is a very energetic and healthy girl, Your Majesty. He inherited his father's brown hair and his mother's pale skin. Unfortunately, she has become very shy due to the reproaches of her aunt, who constantly criticizes her for every small mistake she makes in her princess training. - Did you bring photos of my granddaughter? I want to see her – the queen asked. His ally did so. He reached into his pants pocket, took out a set of photos and, showing them to her, said: - These were the ones I got. Abigail saw in them a smiling and happy girl. In some images she was wearing a long-sleeved white dress and, in others, she was wearing a red cape that helped protect her from the cold. The palace garden was still just as green thanks to the chemical treatments they applied to the plants. In this way, flowers could grow in places inhospitable to them and without the need for fertile soil. That made him happy, because it gave him to understand that Jade still retained certain affection for her roots despite her reputation as a perverse and cruel woman. - I also have news from my brother, your majesty. Abigail opened her eyes in surprise. And his ally barely used to talk about him, because most of the time that person was bedridden and there was almost no news to tell. He had the faint hope that, at last, he had recovered from his long illness. But the news was not particularly encouraging. - My brother, King Marcus, suspects that Princess Jade purposely tampered with her medications so that she will never recover or fulfill her duties as monarch. But he has no way to prove it. - Oh, what a disgrace! – Abigail lamented, while she was on the verge of tears - Does Jade has no heart? How dare he threaten his own father's health because of his ambition? What did I do wrong for it to turn out like this? - Calm down, please. The man took the queen by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. Abigail stopped crying and decided to listen to him. His ally, with all the seriousness in the world, told him: - For now, I only managed to communicate with my brother and Prince Roger from our communication devices. But I fear that Princess Jade will discover us and threaten to locate you, your majesty. Half the court supports her and if they find out that you are still alive, a civil war will break out that is best avoided. Therefore, your Majesty, I would like you to give me authorization to enter the palace and personally monitor your daughter's actions. - But Duke Tulio, you are the only thing I have left now. What happens if they discover you? Duke Tulio smiled as he released the queen and walked a few meters away from her. And, with a slight bow, he answered: - Princess Jade will not be able to deny entry to the palace to her beloved uncle from the South. Furthermore, it is normal for me to want to visit my sick older brother, always fearing that it will be his last day of life. For this reason, I will go as ambassador with the proposal to “strengthen ties” with the Southern Nation and, thus, recruit people who are willing to fight on our side. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………… - Why doesn't Aunt Jade have dinner with us? - She's busy, love. Remember that many people depend on her and she cannot leave them abandoned just to join us for dinner. Prince Rogelio was in the dining room with his daughter, Princess Leonor, tasting the meals that the palace chef prepared for them with great care. For the prince, those were the saddest but, at the same time, the happiest hours of his daily life. Sad, because he remembered that his first wife always had dinner with him, despite how busy she was. And happy, because she could spend quality time with her daughter who, due to her status as heiress, spent hours and hours in the company of her governess to learn the basics of being queen. “The girl hardly has time to play,” Rogelio thought, sadly. “I never thought that training a queen would be so oppressive. It is in those moments of high stress when you need a mother's affection. But my sister-in-law… I mean, second wife, always rejects her or makes fun of her for her ineptitude in studying. Truly, how do you expect my daughter to grow up healthy, without a good maternal reference to lean on?” While thinking, Princess Leonor commented: - Daddy, last night I saw that green-haired girl in front of your door. That alerted the prince, since he knew perfectly well who he was referring to. And without avoiding turning pale, he asked him: - And what was he doing? - I don't know - Leonor responded, shrugging her shoulders - she was just there, standing like a statue. I asked him and he told me he was on a mission. But then he left. Rogelio began to tremble. The night before she had been talking with Duke Tulio, because he had informed her that Queen Abigail was under his protection. However, they kept it a secret as they feared that Princess Jade would have her own mother captured to prevent her from demanding restitution of her position. While he was careful to speak in code, he had a suspicion that Jade had been spying on him and sent her right-hand man to keep an eye on him. If so, she would find a way to pressure him into revealing the truth and thus ruin her plans. - Daddy? Are you OK? – his daughter asked him, noticing him nervous. - Yes, I'm fine – said Rogelio, while he put a bite to his mouth – ah, I thought we could visit grandpa after eating. What are you saying? - Yeah! Visit grandpa! Visit grandpa! The girl broke her tag and jumped on her chair, out of joy. Prince Rogelio let her be, because it was one of the few times he saw her smile and that made his soul happy. “It's lucky that my second wife couldn't accompany us,” Rogelio thought, while eating. "If not, I would already be scolding her for 'not behaving like a lady.' Can't they leave her alone or breathe easy? She’s a girl, not a machine!” Once they finished eating, Rogelio and Leonor headed to the king's chambers. At that time, he was reading the newspaper, where they reported on everything that happened both in the country and in neighboring countries. And, in those moments, they heard him murmur the following: - Oh, wow! So Queen Moria of the Southern Nation plans to resurrect an ancient game called “football”! Interesting! - Shouldn't you be sleeping, Your Majesty? – Rogelio asked him, as they entered his room. King Marco put down the newspaper to attend to his visit. When he noticed his granddaughter, he extended his arms and, with a wide smile, said: - My girl! Did you come to see your grandfather? Come here, little one! - Grandpa! The little princess ran straight into the king's arms and he hugged her. They laughed for a long time, while Prince Roger poked his head into the hallways to make sure no one was spying on them. Once he was sure that the ground was clean, he closed the door, approached the king's bed and said: - Your Majesty, I was able to communicate with “that person.” But I fear that my wife has discovered me. - My daughter would never dare to harm you, boy – the king told him – Not while I live! Although you are not of my blood, I consider you my son and, therefore, I will do everything in my power to protect you. - Don't worry about me, Your Majesty – Rogelio said although, deep down, he was moved by his father-in-law's words – what matters is your health. I have managed to confiscate a sample of your medicine to analyze it in the laboratories to determine whether or not it was adulterated. The king put on a worried expression. Although Jade always loved and attentive to him, he had heard so many bad things about her that it made his heart ache. And the mere thought that his own daughter had poisoned him so that he could never recover filled him with such agony that it was difficult for him to breathe. Princess Leonor, who was still too young to understand adult things, looked at both of them with a doubtful expression. King Marcus seemed to notice this, so he immediately gave a couple of affectionate pats to his granddaughter's shoulders while commenting: - My little princess grew up a lot! Soon it will be so gigantic that it will reach the roofs of the palace! I'm sure that when she grows up, she will be just as beautiful as her mother. - But mommy had blonde hair – Leonor said. - We can dye it that color, if you want. - I like my hair – said Leonor, while touching her hair – so I look more like my aunt Jade. Both the king and the prince were shocked by the girl's words. Although the princess regent did not hide her contempt for her niece, she admired her and had her on a pedestal. But they never imagined that she wanted to look like her, so they feared that, when she grew up, she would not only inherit her physique but also her dark personality. Immediately, Rogelio approached his daughter and, while hugging her, said to the king: - I'd better leave your majesty. I see it stable, but I suggest you not push yourself too hard. - Thanks for visiting me with my granddaughter, boy. I need them – said the king, with a small smile. Once father and daughter left, King Marcus picked up the newspaper again to continue reading. His mood improved a little, although he felt worried about the fate of his granddaughter. At one point he saw a note where they talked about a rebel group, which wanted to demand the dismissal of Princess Jade because many remote areas of the kingdom were left in complete neglect after her seizure of power. He gave a long sigh as he closed the newspaper. A couple of minutes later, the royal doctor came in to give him the medicine. And as he took it, he thought: “My wife, I hope you can return soon. We still need your guidance to bring order to this kingdom and stop the actions committed by our ambitious daughter.”