She can’t sleep
The emissary, with nothing more to say, or do, bowed his head in a sign of respect and hurried away. He wanted to break the good news to his king as soon as possible.
The queen froze at the entrance to her new chambers, and when the distant figure of the emissary disappeared from sight, she nodded to her servants to follow her. The queen entered, and the servants followed her. Once inside, Aurora and Sandra expressed their concerns, “My queen, what was all that? Are you sure this is correct? Don’t you think the king will be upset? After all, he didn’t order it.” The queen couldn’t listen any more, and with fire in her blood, she replied, “I don’t care what the king could say right now. He doesn’t matter at all.”
Amberjill, seeing the surprised faces of her servants and friends, regretted her outburst. She took them by the hand and said, “I’m sorry for my behaviour. You are not the ones I want to disintegrate with my gaze. I am terribly shocked and sad.”
“Oh! No, my queen, do not apologize to your lowly servants.” Sandra, with eyes full of tears, said, “Yes, your Majesty, we are nothing compared to you. We are here to serve you, and if you need to unload your heart, that will be our humble task.”
But Amberjill’s tears this time could not be contained. “The king, he, h-e lied to me, and he cheated on me. I am worried that he lost the love he had for me in the arms of his new wife. My life is in danger now, do you understand? I not only lost my husband, but I could even lose my life. The least of the damages could be a prison. And what of my beloved father? He would never let anything happen to me. He will attack without mercy, putting many lives at risk.”
“And what’s wrong with his majesty, the king, attacking? The kingdom of Mahala did not show one bit of loyalty to you, my queen. Why do you care about them?” Aurora, the more fearsome of the two, intervened. The queen, despite her pain, smiled. Imagining her powerful father attacking the kingdom of Mahala didn’t sound so disastrous after all. But she, shaking her head, came back to reality. No, that couldn’t happen. It will not only affect Mahala but Ruana. War, is very expensive.
“No, my dear Aurora. A war must be avoided at all costs. This must be handled subtly, and without anyone suspecting it. By the time my husband realizes what I plan, it will be too late.” The three of them looked at each other, and a mischievous smile formed on the faces of the servants.
Immediately, the queen’s servants began to tidy up the place. Making it lovable and worthy of her Majesty, Amberjill. Aurora and Sandra made several trips to the royal chamber, to recover the objects of their beloved lady.
Several hours later, the place was immaculate. Amberjill, seeing what was accomplished, sighed in appreciation. “Well done. The place looks cosy. Now the only thing left for us is to wait for the king’s reaction.” The queen thought there would not be much of a reaction. Since her loving husband would be very busy, consummating his marriage. That depressed her more. But her mask must remain in place at all times. She couldn’t afford to waver, even in front of her loyal servants.
Amberjill turned to look out the window. Hours had passed since she was removed from the balcony of honour. It was already past midnight, and no one had bothered to inform her of anything concerning her husband. Her heart was breaking more and more. But she refused to shed a single tear. With which she wept, they were already enough to last a lifetime. She removed her sight from the window and placed it on her untouched plate, with the dinner that her faithful maids had brought. Her stomach was clearly unhappy, but her heart and mind were uninterested.
She pushed the plate away from her and got up from the chair where she had spent most of her time since returning. Her brain was spinning, over and over, reliving the events of the previous day. But what kept her from closing her eyes, which well deserved a break, was imagining her beloved husband with another woman. The fire in her heart ignite.
The queen sighed and went to the window. The view of the magnificent royal gardens greeted her. And in the distance, you could still see the movement of the people who were still celebrating the king’s wedding. She gripped the window ledge until her fingers were white with exertion. Amberjill banged on the window suddenly, giving a small, measured cry. Nothing mattered now. Her life, as she knew it just a few weeks ago, was over. Whatever happened, her loving husband would never be the same.
“What will it feel like to share the man I love with another?” Amberjill wondered aloud. “I cannot deny my body to my husband and king.” She knew that she would be accused of treason if they learned that the queen was not fulfilling her only responsibility. At the thought of this, more tears threatened to spill out. But she kept them at bay.
The queen was tired and depressed. Not only that, her eyes burned from crying so much. Amberjill glanced at her spacious and comfortable bed. Without thinking of anything else, she removed her clothes by herself and took the nightgown that her maids had prepared for her in advance. Being naked, Amberjill felt very cold, and vulnerable. She crossed her arms over her chest, protectively. And it was then, that reality hit her hard. She dressed and went to bed, defeated. Once there, finally, and without being able to stop it, the queen shed a river of tears. From night until dawn, till she finally could close her eyes and sleep.
