The Convert Queen: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 6: A Royal Summons

Once tea was over, Petor excused himself, as he had the business of the king to attend to, which would not, he said rather morosely, attend to itself.

The two young women decided to head out into the garden to hear the King's Musicians practice as they so often did when the weather was fine. A couple of hours slipped idly by as they listened to a string quartet ready for the king's concert a few weeks hence.

Once the music was finished, it was time, Aleyna decided, to go home. There was only a couple of hours to go before Eyvan finished his shift at the hospital, and she wanted a bit of time to herself, to mull things over. Though the morning and afternoon had been like any other, her post-work day had thrown up a number of issues which needed some concentration.

Arm-in-arm, Aleyna and Leena walked slowly along the paths that wound through the palace gardens, and back to the palace itself.

'Are you really intent on settling for no less a husband than a king?'Aleyna asked. 'I know you. You crave a wedding. You long to be a wife, a mother. Do you want to keep putting it off?'

'Do you think I'm hoping in vain?' Leena asked in return.

'Not at all. It's not the kings that don't want you, but rather you don't want them when you meet them. And I distinctly remember a handsome baron from the Headlands last summer, falling head over heels in love with you, and you were terribly sweet on him. I really thought you were going to end up marrying him.'

'Baron Pyper Delmoray.'

'You remember him too,' Aleyna commented with a knowing smile.

'He was handsome, and very...attentive. I did like him, very much. And he did ask for my hand. Did I tell you?' she asked rhetorically, knowing full well she hadn't told Aleyna. 'I almost said yes, you know. Perhaps if I don't find a king to wed by the end of the year, I shall have to seek him out?'

'I think that's a good idea,' Aleyna encouraged. Yet she wondered if the Baron had gone home pining for Leena, or had chosen to look elsewhere for a wife to take his mind off the Lyknisian princess who had refused him.

'And you?'

'Me, what?'

'You and Eyvan and marriage.'

'That...' The single word was accompanied with a heavy sigh. 'You know, as I passed the fountain today, I exchanged a copper for a wish: an unchanging life, but your father's words about unasked for change seem rather timely, don't they.'

By now there were inside the palace. Aleyna left Leena at the bottom of a sweeping staircase, and made her way through a wide, marble-floored corridor which ran centrally through the palace. She was just about to step out of the great double doors when she heard her name being frantically called behind her.

'Professor Rianenska! Professor, please wait!' It was one of the King's men. 'I found you, at last! The king wishes to speak with you before you leave.'

Aleyna glanced at the great clock on the wall. She really did want to go home.

'He said it was very important.'

A knot formed in Aleyna's stomach. Had word got back to Petor that she had insulted the Mynythians? Oh, my this was going to be embarrassing. What was she going to say? Well, it couldn't be put off.

She followed the King's Man, who led her back to the King's Quarters, but this time Petor was waiting in his private parlour. The room's proportions were small given the size of other rooms in the sprawling palace.

'Thank you, Barasev,' Peter said, once Aleyna had been shown in. 'That will be all. Actually, no. Another bottle of wine and glass for Aleyna. I think we are going to need it.'

Aleyna didn't like the sound of that. It sounded serious. Ominous. Petor remained silent while they waited for Barasev to return. The king's face was drawn, Aleyna noted. There was a strained set to his jaw. Aleyna had never seen Petor like this before, and suddenly she became very afraid. What could have upset him so?

To take her mind off her worry, or to at least try and gauge what it was over, she studied the room. A fire was burning in the grate, and lamps had been lit around the room. A writing desk was positioned in front of the window, the curtains over which were already closed. To either side of the fire place was an armchair, and opposite it, a settle. The wine decanter was empty on the low table. There were two dirty glasses next to it. So he had been entertaining someone. Who? Not many were granted access into his private parlour.

The door opened, making Aleyna jump. Barasev replaced the glasses and bottle on the table with new ones, and then left. Aleyna took a deep breath in to steady herself.

'Aleyna, sit down.' It wasn't a question, it was an order.

She moved in the direction of one of the armchairs, but Petor sat on the settle and patted the seat next to him. It was his turn to take a deep breath in. He let it out slowly, and Aleyna felt the tension rise.

'Where to begin?' he asked. 'Aleyna...' His words drifted off and the silence returned. 'Aleyna,' he said again. 'I've been talking with my friend, Arner. The king of the Mynythians.'

Aleyna groaned, and then a string of words, barely coherent, rushed out of her mouth. 'Oh my. Oh, gosh. I did offend them, didn't I? Only, I didn't know what the proper response was, and they had caught me off guard, and I didn't know what to do. Am I in so much trouble? Is there anyway I can make amends? Have I caused...an incident?'

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[Word count for chapter: 961, Word count for whole story: 6894 ]

Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider voting for it and / or leaving me a comment to let me know what you think.

Poor Aleyna! She is really feeling the tension in that room, isn't she? And Petor is also clearly suffering under the burden of something... Prior to that, her discussion with Leena about marriage took an interesting turn. After all, is she in any position to talk about marriage when she and Eyvan refuse to wed? I would love to hear your thoughts...

Have a great day!