The Princess of Elfhame

Would she want this?

Castien 

Rhea still hasn't woken up from the pain relief but she's in more pain than should ever be tolerable so I know that there really should be no reason to worry about her not being awake just yet, even if her parents are freaked out of their minds. 

Elfhame has learned of Queen Nicasia's attack on Princess Rhea and everyone is enraged at her act that she's committed. 

King Cardan is not much better himself, for he's been in meetings almost since he last talked to me, planning war on Queen Nicasia, and I wouldn't count myself surprised if he actually did kill her. 

What she did to Princess Rhea should have been marked down as treason or at the very least attempted murder, and for this, Queen Nicasia will pay. 

And Nara? 

I could kill her myself right now if I weren't afraid of acting out and casting Dorrenhid into a dark shadow of violence. 

So now I'm sitting by the princess' side as she sleeps, which seems weird, but I have to make sure that when she wakes up in pain, that I can do all I can to make sure she is in the least amount of pain possible. 

It's all I can do. 

Her Circle of Archers is god knows where, but right now, Queen Jude is pacing around in her daughter's room and I lean my head back against the chair's headrest. 

"She'll be alright, Your Majesty. She's remarkably strong as well as being full of herself." 

Queen Jude laughs. "You're telling me." 

She stops pacing to brush away some of her daughter's hair and she sighs. 

"I know I should be worrying about my sons, but right now with my daughter being so hurt, I need her to know that I'm here. And that when she wakes up, the first thing I'm going to do is hug her, kiss her forehead and then go and kill Queen Nicasia." 

I look down and nod. 

"But I don't think that's what she'd want either. I don't think that she'd want Elfhame to stoop that low and kill just because of her personal interests or her injuries. We know that she's  capable in holding grudges, but I know that whatever we did to Nicasia would be the opposite of what she'd do." 

Queen Jude's lips purse together and she shakes her head. 

"Queen Nicasia has always been like this. She took it way too far this time so it's time for her to finally pay the price for the hatred and misery she's caused Elfhame for all these years." 

"But Queen Jude would she want this? She is the future queen of Elfhame, which means that if and when she becomes queen, she might come to rule a country that's being run by hatred and at the very least consumed by war." 

Queen Jude places her head in her hands and sighs. 

"I know that you're right, Prince Castien, I really do. But I also know that Queen Nicasia will stop at nothing to give us hell. So yes, I think that Rhea would want this." 

"What would I want?" Rhea responds groggily and I lurch to my feet as the queen gasps and hugs her daughter to herself. 

"Mom... remember... cracked ribs," she wheezes and Queen Jude lets go slightly before giving her a sympathetic smile. 

"I didn't forget. But..." she kisses her daughter's forehead before cupping her cheek with a beaming smile. 

"I think right now you'd want to get some more rest, right?" she asks softly and Rhea's eyes harden as she presses a hand to her jaw.