My Liege And I

Huntress

Thank you for reaching out and encouraging me to finish this.

Chapter 41

Queen Elora
Huticah

It was the way of the Huticah people that when seasons changed, they would move to another place that is warmer and hospitable for them and their livestock. For this reason, their accommodation consisted of a small collection of gers, the round tent of the steppes, positioned in a straight line with the doors facing south. The Huticah ger was made of thick layers of felt wool pressed into large blankets, and could be packed up and moved as the seasons changed or as whim dictated.

As the queen, Eleanor lived in a well-guarded camp where guards had strict orders to kill anyone who crossed a precise threshold without authorisation. Eleanor had men, rather than dogs, to guard the area around her ger. Her son could be disturbed in sleep by the barking of dogs, so she kept none around to sound the alarm of an intruder.

The inside of the ger was usually a pleasant quiet cocoon. A fire was on the center of it, a makeshift bed on one side of the encampment while seating mats were on the other.

Eleanor watched her mother sway back and forth for the comfort of rest for her son. It was the custom of every Huticah person to sit with legs crossed while in the ger as there was not enough space for everyone to be stretching their legs. Respectfully, Queen Elora sat likewise, with her grandson on her lap.

They had just taken soup as their night meal, thus left with conversing into the night, mother and daughter interacting as they should, despite their many differences.

“He is a handsome little man. Looks striking for a befitted future king.”

Eleanor smiled at the compliment. Looks were everything for a Furian, and her mother’s approval was what she had always craved for concerning everything. Queen Elora knew that.

“He looks like his father,” Eleanor added to her mother’s sentiments.

Under the lighting of the candlelight, her grandchild’s petit face was relaxed as he slept on, his little mouth carrying a pout.

“Yes. This is the path you chose, carry on it with conviction and achieve great things.”

Eleanor frowned, opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. It seemed in her mind it would always be her mother’s fault that she was there. If her mother had loved her better, she would not choose to come to Huticah or fall into her rebellious behavior with Hu-go.

However, Queen Elora would not take on that sort of accusation. It could not be denied that she was a woman of wisdom. In all her reign, Furia had managed to prosper in its glory.

Why didn't Eleanor prosper under her as well?

“Mother, be honest with me,” Eleanor started what seemed would be the relevant subject of their conversation for the night. “Why did you, from the very beginning, choose Elora? We wouldn’t have ended up in this place if I were your first choice and favoritism wasn't something I experienced growing up.”

Queen Elora kept playing with the fisted hand of her grandson. “You choose to blame your mistakes on me, as always, like I did not warn you about your decision to come here. If you had listened, you would still be my choice for the throne.”

“It should never have been a choice between me and her. I grew up in Furia. I was raised as the future queen. I understand our ways and our people. Why was it a necessity that I be the only―”

“Ways can be unlearned and learned.”

“But I had the advantage of knowing a lot already.”

Queen Elora shook her head in exasperation. “What is done is done. Can we change things now? Surely what we say now cannot change the reality of where you have ended; a mere queen of a land soon to be forgotten.”

For a while, Eleanor stared at her. She was used to her mother being stern, it didn't faze her.

Her mind seemed to spin with speculation for a while before certainty shone on her eyes.

“It is a prophecy, isn’t it, Mother?”

“I do not―”

“That was why you chose her. You saw something.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“You are the queen, surely you received the prophecy about the future of Furia.” Eleanor stopped in realization of something else. “To think of it, you never mentioned to me what they told you.”

“You will not command me like your servant!”

“I’m no longer your begging child! Tell me the truth! After the misfortune of being the forgotten child, I deserve this much.”

The prince stirred at the raising of their voices. Queen Elora quickly patted him back to sleep. It was only when he had gone quiet and still that she continued.

With a sigh, she said, “They saw the future of Furia in the hands of Nevoria again and you wouldn’t be able to stop it. The dragon would wage war against you and at his hand would be your demise.”

Eleanor continued to glare at her mother, the news too stunning.

“At birth, it was prophesied Elora would be the rising phoenix, that is why she was preferred. Although the ending of Furia was not seen when it came to her becoming the queen, at least it meant Furia had a chance of surviving and carrying on.”

Eleanor shifted uncomfortably. “So… I would not live as the queen?”

“For two years, you would reign before the dragon besieged your city and you were beheaded.”

“It is no different. Even here he will kill me. He hates my husband.”

“You have a fighting chance here, with your sister reigning, she will be able to protect you.”

“No, Mother, it is not as easy as you make it. We are only sisters in blood and no relationship between us. The emperor hates Huticah, the people I am the queen of. I will not survive alongside with my son. This is why we are always traveling every few days, it is not safe for us,” she rambled.

“Eleanor, listen,” she took the child from her lap to the small bed of blankets between them. “The situation has become dire recently, with the emperor vengeful as ever, but the fact that you are a mother now doesn’t change. You have to fight.” Queen Elora took her daughter’s hand and squeezed it. “To fight is to survive.”

At that, Eleanor burst into tears and fell into her arms.

As a mother, she understood it all. Her daughter felt helpless in her situation. Who knew what was on the emperor's mind. For now, Eleanor could survive, her mother was alive to fight for her, but those were not the circumstances of her tomorrow.

Queen Elora was preparing to rest later on, when she heard her lady in waiting ask for permission to enter from outside her encampment.

"Enter," she responded as she pushed back the blanket and got into her place of sleep.

"Your Majesty, this is the letter we just received," the lady in waiting knelt before her, handing it over, "It is from Lance."

Queen Elora unfolded the cloth written on, quite puzzled why Lance would write to her. He was in Furia and not on a mission for him to have news to report on.

However, as she read through it, a smile brightened her face to the unexpected good news.

"A rabbit has fallen into the trap of the huntress," she couldn't help laughing as she closed it. “We must get ready to head to Nevoria. Our straws have lined up.”

S.V