Crazy Duke and Fallen Queen

Martia and I were summoned to court.

It was early to admit defeat. My memories were rather clear on that.

My Queen was going to win the following year, but I was called to the capital regardless.

I hadn't realised that my actions had changed my destiny. If I knew, I would have probably just kept quiet and incompetent.

Being accepted by my Queen for my achievements was the best possible chance, but being at her side was more important.

Martia and I travelled to the capital with a whole delegation from Stoneyard. It took us so much to arrive, and the journey was all but comfortable.

Which reminded me that I had to solve that issue. Kyre's roads were terrible to travel, both for carriages and solitary riders.

And I was travelling back and forth quite often, in that life.

The Countess had paid much attention not to spend money when not needed. Hence, our treasure was full.

«We'll need to improve the roads,» I said to Martia during the journey.

«I agree,» she sighed. She was so calm that it was frightening.

Her childish temper had been soothed by worry, and her solemn face reminded me of the little girl in my dreams.

«Don't worry. We won't be executed. Not this time,» I reassured Martia, but she simply rolled her eyes.

«That's not what I'm worried about. I don't want to be alone, far from my family.»

Oh, right. That had always been my sister's fear.

«You won't need to leave Kyre.»

«The Emperor will try to marry me off,» she pointed out, angry.

I pinched her round cheek, remembering that she was still a child. Nothing to do with the refined lady from my memories. Not yet, at least.

«You won't need to marry out of Kyre. If needed, I'll do it for you.»

«Are you going to marry my husband?» she snickered, at least slightly in a better mood.

«No, Martia. I will be exchange goods for a political marriage.»

«Is there anyone worthy of the Lord of Kyre?»

«There is a Queen, south of the Empire. She's been resisting Ethiro's invasion for years, and she won't surrender that easily. I'll marry her and bring peace to our lands.»

«Ah, you can't do that... Oh, wait. You want to be King this badly?»

«I won't be King if I marry her. The throne is hers.»

She curled her lips, lost in thought.

«And you would just accept it?»

«Her ruling is wise, and her war strategies excellent. It would be an honour to be her husband,» I revealed. It was the first time that I talked about Theodora with someone.

Well, except for when I draw her face on a paper. But I hadn't told anyone who she was.

«You... like her?» she asked, confused.

«Indeed.»

«But you've never met her.»

Ah, that was something I didn't know how to explain. Yet, it was my sister. Could I risk trusting her?

«I have met her. In my dreams.»

Just like that, during our journey, I told her all about my first life. Better said, all I could remember.

«So, that's why you already know I was going to be born!» she exclaimed, then. «Mum always said that you chose my name. But you already knew how I was going to be called!»

«That's true,» I sighed.

«Mum also said that you wanted a sister, but I'm now starting to think it's not the case... You just knew.»

«The first time, I did ask for a brother. But I'm happy to have you as my sister.»

Her cheeks turned red with happiness, and she hugged me tightly.

«So, you already know that the Emperor won't send me to a foreign land!»

«There will be talks about it, but then it will turn into nothing. You'll need to stay in Kyre once I'm sent off.»

«All of this means that you won all those wards because you knew what was going to happen,» she then realised. «You're not as amazing as I thought, then. You're just cheating.»

«Correct,» I chuckled. Even though in my first life I hadn't paid much attention to politics.

I knew the most relevant events, but all the small details were dark for me. Even the strategies our generals used to win weren't always of public domain. I had to fill in the blanks in the beginning. It wasn't too difficult since I had received news about those battles during my captivity in Stoneyard.

It was when I went south, when the mysterious plague turned out to be nothing alike to an illness, that I realised that my knowledge was too restricted to use it to predict events. Not to mention all those little things that didn't fit in.

My memories might have been imprecise or wrong. Or things might have changed on their own.

However, I had fewer and fewer advantages from my first life's dreams. As time passed, I stopped relying on them too much.

To my surprise, it became easier to focus on the task if I didn't need to remember how it was last time.

Still, there wasn't any need to tell this to Martia. It would have just made her worry again.

If my visions were less and less precise every day, what ensured us that she wouldn't be married off regardless of the Lord's destiny?

«But what about your Queen?» she then asked. «How is she?»

Martia was nine at that time. She was a child, which made her believe my story without any doubt.

If her big brother told her that it was his second life, she would just ask him how the first had been.

With her, it had been easy. But anyone else would have dismissed my words like talk of a crazy man.

«Martia, you can't tell anyone alive about this,» I warned her. «It's dangerous. And something that normal people can't believe. It would be problematic if everyone started thinking that we're both crazy. All right?»

«What do you think of me? I understand that much! By the way, have you told anyone else?»

«No.»

«Then, it's our secret! Oh, wonderful!»

«Yes,» I chuckled. «It's our secret now.»

«How is the Queen? Is she pretty? Oh, must be if you like her so much.»

«So much?»

«Your eyes changed when you talked about her. Your face was completely different. Well, now I understand what you're thinking about every time you look at the distance with an ecstatic expression.»

«I don't do that.»

«Oh, you do it so often!»

«Well, if you meet her, you'll understand why I look like that. She's beautiful.»

«Of course, she is. But how?» she pressed me, curious and chatty. «What colour is her hair?»

«Blonde,» I sighed. «It forms waves, just like the sea. And it's so light that it's almost silver.»

«I want to see a picture!»

The last time I drew one, I was ten. Mother commented about the woman in it, but she didn't dare to compliment my traits. If she couldn't bring herself to praise a child, then it must have been really horrible. Better avoid drawing.

«There must be a picture of her mother, somewhere in the Palace. She was proposed as the second wife for his majesty, but luckily Ethiro chose our late Empress.»

«I want to see the portrait! Is she similar to her mother?»

«Not really. But they have the same wavy hair. Also, my Queen uses to draw her eyelids with light colours that shine under the sunlight. She's elegant and delicate. Too bad that her character is strong and her decisions unmovable. Her fairy-like appearance is just a facade.»

«And why is she a Queen? Wasn't there any heir to the throne in... Where did you say she is?»

«I haven't told you yet. It's a city-state in the south. Polis.»

«Oh, they have a huge harbour. That's why the... Wait a moment, Xander! You were the one to suggest war!»

«I didn't suggest it. The man in line after me was going to say the same.»

«You stole his opportunity.»

«I needed to prevent his majesty from taking you away from me. I didn't want to spend five years without seeing my sister.»

«Oh,» she muttered. Then, she crossed her arms. «You're such a strategist. You stole that man's opportunity and also gained profit from what happened. If it didn't turn out to be for me, I would be scolding you right now.»

«But?»

«But I'm happy that we weren't separated for so much time. Three years were already hard to bear. I can't imagine five.»

«Do you believe me, Martia? For real?»

«Why would you lie?»

«Because I'm crazy?» I shrugged.

«Oh, you're everything but crazy. You helped many people; you won so many battles. Also, being crazy is something that is highly valued here in Ethiro. Just look at his majesty!»

«Martia, don't talk about the Emperor like this! It's dangerous!»

«Oh, please...»

She rolled her eyes and settled more comfortably. She folded her legs under her skirt and hugged a pillow.

«Tell me more about it. But not about my future. I don't want to know. Tell me about your Queen. Or about who is going to win the Autumn hunt this year. There's always so much talk about that thing that it becomes boring. I wonder if everyone in the Palace waits a whole year just to see some random knights come back with a bunch of killed animals.»

«I don't know who's going to win, Martia. I haven't paid any attention to that.»