Duty and Destiny

“What is wrong with father?” A fresh faced Adalia budged in her parent’s bedroom. She had heard that her father wasn’t well, but she always thought it was a ploy to get her to come out of her room. But it wasn’t her siblings’ habit to use the same lie thrice. She sat next to her father on his bed and took his hand. “What’s wrong daddy?”

Gabrielle grunted in pain when he tried to move. “I think I ate something bad.”

“That can’t be it,” Leora paced around the room, her desperate fingers clawing through her hair. “It’s something else and I know it.”

Adalia looked over at her mother and she knew exactly how she felt. “Don’t worry daddy, the healer will get something for you.”

She jumped off the bed and signaled Conan to follow her outside. “Are you sure it’s not an assassination attempt?”

“I’m not completely sure,” he sucked in a long breath. But from the drop of his shoulders, Adalia could tell he felt helpless and frustrated because of it. “No one would dare. Everyone in the palace is loyal and none of the tasters are ill.”

“Three days ago, who brought him his meal?” Although she didn’t think it was possible, Adalia needed to cover all her bases.

“I will have to ask.”

“Do that.”

“If he was poisoned, I will resign,” Conan swore.

“There is no need to think that far.”

***

Xander heard Adalia’s voice as he walked down the corridor. At first, he couldn’t believe that she was out of her room, but he went anyway. “Adalia, I’m glad to see you here.”

“Where else would I be?” She willed herself to be more brazen. “How did my father get ill under your watch?”

“There are some things a sword cannot fight off,” Xander tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled away. Just as she was about to walk away from him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. “How long are you going to be like this Adalia?”

She pulled out of his grip but didn’t take a step back. Their faces were inches away from each other when she said. “Princess Adalia,” she grinned. “It will last for as long as this feeling of betrayal is still inside me.”

“But I didn’t betray you.”

“You did, when you failed to do your duty,” she couldn’t help but goad. “Go guard a gate or something.”

Xander was fuming with rage as he watched her walk back into her father’s room a smug look on her face. He couldn’t help but feel that Archer was still causing him trouble while he was dead. But he knew of a way of getting things back on track. He waited for the family to go to sleep that night before calling for an audience with the King and Queen.

“Your highnesses, please forgive me for calling on you so late at night. Especially now that King Gabrielle is ill,” he started off. He feigned a tone of concern. “The thing is that. I am worried about the crown princess and the kingdom.”

“Why?” Gabrielle managed to breathe out midst of all his pain. He had gotten worse and now he was struggling to catch his breath. His stomach seemed to swell and his lungs crushing under its added weight.

“You are ill, and forgive me for saying this, but you seem to be getting worse as each day passes,” he sighed. “Princess Adalia is very capable, especially since her mother will be beside her. But lately she has been depressed and locked herself in her room. The soldiers don’t have any confidence in her.”

“Why not, she could beat anyone of them in a fight,” Leora defended her daughter.

“Let him finish,” Gabrielle put his weary hand on Leora’s to calm her agitated nerves.

“Let her marry. If she takes a husband with military might, no one will dare stand against her. Remember of the impending war with the rebels. We need someone with a clear mind to help guide her,” Xander waited for the bait to set in.

***

The next morning Adalia was woken up by a summon from her father. In a panic she rushed there her heart in her hands but a prayer in her lips. She paused at the door and took in a deep breathe.

“Yes Daddy?” she eased out a sigh of relief when she saw her father sited on the bed taking a sip of soup.

Gabrielle waved all the servants away. It was just him, Leora, Conan and Adalia left in the room. Adalia was sure that the reason she was summoned was a state matter and not family. She looked around the room and she could see their tensed faces. She wasn’t going to like what they were about to tell her.

“What is it father? I promise not to lose my temper,” she hopped on her father’s bed and sat beside him.

“That is why Conan is here, in case you do lose your temper,” he tried to laugh but winced in pain instead.

“What is it father?”

“I’m ill, and no one seems to have a cure,” he took his daughter’s hand. “I might be dying.”

“I’m going to lose my temper,” Adalia jumped off the bed a scowl on her face. “Did you call me in here to tell me that a stomach bug has finally defeated you? You who has been winning battles ever since he could hold a sword.”

“I’m not saying that. Calm down.”

“Adalia, your father just wants to protect your future as Queen,” Leora was the voice of reason. She tried to bring down the elevated emotions in the room.

“I want you to marry sweetheart,” he blurted out.

Adalia took a step back for balance. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. There was a time she couldn’t wait to be married, actually two times. But now the thought of it made her feel guilty. How could she marry another man without feeling like she was betraying Archer?

“Father no,” her shock widened eyes said it all. “I cannot marry someone else.”

“We cannot bring Archer back from the dead. If I could, I would just for Ilana and Lionel’s sakes,” he said.

“Your highness, if I may interrupt,” Conan cut in. “You and Xander seem to get along well. Remember that soon we will be in war, and we will need the men to have confidence in you. They respect Xander. Think about it, you and I alone cannot win a war.”

“Lionell and Randi will be with us. They will give us the numbers.”

“They too will need to protect their people. Doran wouldn’t allow the King to take such a move,” Conan reminded him.

Adalia thought back to what Archer said to her when they first met. She asked him what he thought of them being forced to marry and he spoke of duty. She murmured the same words. “I was bred for duty and responsibility. My Kingdom and my crown are more important than my desires and personal needs.”

“What?” Gabrielle was straining to listen to what she was mumbling.

“If I am to marry, I will marry Conan. What do you say old man?” she stuck out her jaw as if daring him to turn her down.

“I don’t think my wife would appreciate that. And besides you are like a daughter to me,” Conan dismissed her with a smile.

Adalia thought hard, trying to figure out which one of Randi’s rascal’s friends could make a good king. Of course, he wouldn’t have any powers, but he still had to look good and inspire confidence. But no one came to mind. How could she betray Archer like this? Please forgive me my love. “I will do it. I will marry Xander, for the crown, my kingdom and for the safety of my people,” the tone in her voice was emotionless. “Tell him to come and see me as soon as possible,”

Adalia felt like running out of the room. She gave her parents a weary smile then left, straightened her spine and marched out.

“I don’t think we are doing the right thing,” she heard Leora say as she left.

Adalia ran into her room the urge to cry coming over her. She blinked her tears back. She had to be firm, strong and to an extent a robot. She couldn’t allow herself to feel for one second or she could break down and go back on her word. She sat on her desk and stared at her diary. Her fingers traced the spine of it. She flipped it open. Closing her eyes, she tried to make sense of her most recent, most impulsive decision of her life.

She picked up her pen and right beside the words ‘I love Archer’ she wrote. “I was bred for duty and responsibility. My Kingdom and my crown are more important than my desires and personal needs.”

Adalia closed her diary when she heard a knock on the door. Xander walked in a beaming smile on his face. She stood up, her hands folded behind her back. She took a couple of long strides towards him.

“Judging by that silly smile on your face I assume that you have been offer of marriage,” business deal not a marriage, she kept on telling herself.

“Yes, we will be happy,” Xander tried to assure her.

“We aren’t marrying to be happy,” she chuckled. “You are my pawn, and you will behave like one. Never assume that you have any say or any power in this kingdom. You will stand by my side like a lovely wife and draw your sword to defend me like a royal guard should,” she couldn’t resist the wicked urge to goad.

Xander felt insulted and made a fool of. “If you don’t want to marry me then why accept your father’s proposal.”

“He’s ill. At this point if he wanted me to marry an ogre, or a hobbit I would. Leave me, a week from now you will be a royal,” she pushed him out of the door and locked it behind him. Then shouted. “Get used to the sound of a key turning in the lock, you are going to be hearing it for the rest of your life.”

***

“We will see about that,” Xander echoed in a low deliberate voice. “You have a strong will but so do wild horses, but they are broken and trained.”