Chapter 1 : Red
Red was Prince Theodore’s favourite colour. He had decorated his palace all in red. His wife tried to object – but he was the one taking the decisions here, why would she try to do anything to forbid his will? With his loyal disciple, Duke Comorrad, he walked down the Main Hall.
The Duke was smaller in height and younger than his master. He had been under the wing of the Prince for twelve years. Prince Theodore entered his office. His disciples were there, all lined up, their ears ready to hear the say of the All Mighty. He sits at his office chair, already practicing his sitting on the throne.
“Gentlemen,” he begins. “I believe you all know why you are here.”
They all nodded in a same automatic movement and stiffness. Prince Theodore smiles and begins talking in his King’s voice:
“My niece, the usurper of my throne, has been endangering for seven years now. It has been to long. We have suffered a Famine and a damaging War because of her foolishness. None of it would have happened if a man – like me – has gotten the power. I need to be at my right place. At her place. But I shall need your help gentlemen. We shall give Forsyth his glory back.”
The man cheered in a same sound and in a same movement. Prince Theodore’s smile widens.
“We shall become the leaders of Forsyth’s Golden Age. We shall bring Forsyth to its awaited glory. Only the powerful hands of a man will prevent the country to die! Are you with me?”
The same cheer sounded again. Suddenly, they stopped. A knock on the door. Prince Theodore smiles even more.
“Enter, comrade, we were waiting for you!” he shouts at the person being the door.
Slowly, the door opens. A large silhouette begins to move in the shadows. The person appears in the light. A strong figure, short hair and cold eyes. Prince Theodore got up and went up to the man who have just entered. He shook his hands.
“We are glad you have joined our cause, Lord Rufus.”
Lord Rufus simply nodded. Prince Theodore thought, with a smile going from ear to ear: You are done for, niece. Soon, the throne will be mine.
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The Queen slowly opened her eyes. Only a very small light was coming out of her windows. The sun has not risen yet. She turned by a right side. Her husband was there, sound asleep. She carefully and discreetly got out of the bed. She then went by the maid’s door. Blythe was there, waiting for her.
“Do you have it?” Georgiana asked her.
Blythe gave her a black dirty cup.
“There it is, Your Grace.”
Georgiana took it. The cold metal on her fingers made her shudder.
“Thank you, Blythe.”
The maid, then, vanished in the obscurity of the corridors. Georgiana quietly got back in the bedroom. Rainer was still asleep. She took the cup approached it to the bed. Delicately, she poured the inside of the cup on where she was sleeping.
She touched the covers. They were damp now. Perfect. She went back to where she was sleeping. Rainer awoke a few minutes later, when the sun began to shower his golden locks. He turned to his wife and kissed her on the cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“Morning, mila,” he said on a deep voice.
“Morning,” she answered, kissing him softly on the lips.
Suddenly, the door of their bedroom flung open. Dagmar entered the room, with clean sheets resting in her arms. She bowed to the couple. Georgiana got up and followed the same ritual as each morning. She went for a bath while her husband was changing in another room.
Dagmar checked the sheets while Georgiana was in her bath. She saw a damp red trace on the white sheets. Blood. The queen was not pregnant. She got rid of the sheets and put on new ones.
Georgiana, in her bath, touched her belly and closed her eyes. She was with child but only two persons knew: herself and Blythe. And she intended to keep it that way for as long as she can.
Dagmar dressed the Queen. Rainer entered the room to put on his jacket. He asked her:
“I’ll go hunting today with Lord Brett so I won’t be able to be back for lunch.”
Georgiana answers, while putting on her gloves:
“It is fine. I have to go to the Parliament with Lord Rufus. I shall have lunch there.”
Rainer frowned.
“You and him? Alone?”
She was ready and she went up to him. Georgiana was about to retort to him, when they heard a knock on the door. They both jump. The door opens on Lord Rufus.
“Your Grace, the carriage is ready.” He realised a little late that Rainer was also there. “Good morning, King consort.”
Rainer gave him a dark stare as an answer. He kissed Georgiana and whispered to her: “See you tonight, mila.” She smiled at him and he exited the room. The queen followed Lord Rufus outside. Georgiana saw her husband going in the direction of Lord Brett’s room.
Georgiana and her Private Advisor soon arrived in the Courtyard. The Royal Carriage was waiting for her. They both jumped in. Lord Rufus talked to her about the meeting at the Parliament:
“The ministers have decided to gather today at the demand of the Physicians of Ortelly. The Physicians have sent a letter a few weeks ago.”
“Yes, I do remember.” She sighed. “It was about the sewers.”
Lord Rufus nodded and continued:
“The Physicians have proposed a hygiene reform and the ministers have built it into a law. It shall be voted, today.”
“How long will the deliberation last?” Georgiana said, on an annoyed tone.
“I don’t know, Your Grace. It is hard to know the ministers’ stance on the matter. The deliberation can last for as long as three days.”
Georgiana looked by the window and sighed. Lord Rufus looked at the queen. He did not know why she was so stressed and on a bad mood. He asked her:
“Are you alright?”
She turned to him, surprised by his question.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Your Grace, pardon my forthrightness, but you do look a bit… on a mood.”
“I am just tired.”
No, it was not just that. She put a hand on her corset. God, she felt so compressed in this prison of a dress. She looked at the window of the carriage. Her back hurt. She felt ill in her stomach and in a horrible mood. She wanted to run away from here or remain in bed forever.
The Queen and the Private Advisor arrived at the Parliament. The cession had just begun when they took place in the assembly. Lord Rufus was sitting in the middle of the Deliberation Room, next to the Queen. He looked at Georgiana. She was pale and seemed to be somewhere else.
The ministers started to enunciate the law. Lord Rufus knew about it already. The Physicians wanted to improve the sewers in Ortelly. Thus, it was needed to do enormous constructions on the streets of the capital of Forsyth. If the law were to be voted, the state will need to spend a lot of money on it.
After three hours of deliberation, the Queen was asked to vote. She turned to Lord Rufus.
“Will the works cost a lot?”
“Indeed, they will. But it will improve the hygiene in the city.”
Georgiana thought about it a little bit. She made up her mind to vote for the law. A lot of money will be spent but she knew Ortelly terribly needed to improve her sanitary conditions.
However, to the surprise of the Queen, the law was not voted. A majority of the Ministers decided that Forsyth would be wasting her money on such a law and that the law was nothing to do urgently.
