The First Queen (Currently Being Updated)

Epilogue

King Francis left two weeks later, just as he said. Not that he wanted to, but because he had to return home. Civil unrest would not be a nice welcome home for him.

He and Eleanor spent time, but not a lot, with each other during those two weeks. They either walked together in the gardens or simply conversed. Francis knew not to intrude, but he wanted to get to know his possible future wife better.

Eleanor was no open book, and she preferred to stay that way. Dark clothing fit her perfectly in that manner. Why? Because no one can see through the darkness. That is, of course, without of source of light. Eleanor's "darkness," if you will, does not mean she is sinister. It just means that only she can offer the light for others to see her true self.

The young queen did, with great anxiety, talk with her mother. "You killed him," Katarina said slowly, turning up to look at her visitor. "You killed him," she said as she tried to lunge at her surviving child, only to be held back by guards who had accompanied Eleanor. She did not want to take any risks when entering Katarina's room.

"I had no choice."

"Of course you had a choice! You could have taken him prisoner, but no! You kill him instead in cold blood, your own brother!"

"Do you think I wanted to kill him?" Eleanor asked. "I was out of options! If I had let him live, how was I to know that no one would sneak right under my nose and rescue him? Hm? The man I killed, he was my brother consumed by evil and hatred. I thought my brother died with the man he used to be. And I owe it to you, Katarina. You toyed with his mind so much that he was willing to take my throne! He wasn't even an Alagor! But don't you dare think for a second that I felt nothing when I plunged my sword into his stomach! If it will make you feel any better, Darien will be buried at the foot of Mount Andett. It is surely better than being dumped into a mass grave like the rest of his fallen rebels."

And Eleanor stayed true to her word. The preserved body of the fallen prince was buried two days later. The burial was done with great discretion, with only few in tow. The Queen Mother and her ladies, Eleanor herself along with guards for protection. The priest was waiting for the company to arrive, and then the ceremony began.

Eleanor saw Darien's corpse only once, when it was already in the coffin. The room was illuminated by two candles, one on either side of the casket. Katarina asked for it be closed the entire time, and Eleanor could not deny her that. No mother, not even someone of likes of Katarina, should ever have to bury their child.

She looked over him. His hair was cut, fixed the way it was when he was younger, and he was cleanly shaven. Eleanor could not help but cry. No one heard her. Guilt clouded her. Her own brother was dead by her own sword. But what would become of her if she had let him live? Would she have ever been safe knowing that while he still breathed, her life was at stake? It was his life or hers.

"I wish we did not have to part ways like this," she cried. "I cherished you so much, even when I told myself over and over again that you were no longer worth caring for, that you were gone. I always thought of you. How you looked like. Where you could be. If you found someone to love. If you ever thought of me, of my – our father, our mother. If you ever thought of home. I pray that, wherever your soul has found rest, you have found peace. If you had succeeded in killing me, I know you would have lived on with regret, just as I am now. But unlike me, I never posed a threat. I could have given you land, a title, but no. You wanted my throne, my crown. They were not mine to give nor for you to take. If there is one thing that I have given you and never sought to be returned was my love for you, a love a sister has for her brother. I will love what good memories I have of you and try to banish the awful things you have done from my mind."

She bowed her head to place a kiss on Darien's head. The two siblings parted ways for the last time.

King Francis had to leave Queen Eleanor, for his kingdom's sake, but not without something to remember him by. Francis gave her a ring with a deep blue sapphire in the middle. Eleanor didn't want anything of luxury from him, but this she accepted. The blue would remind her of his eyes, even when he was an ocean away. Eleanor waited on the docks until his ship disappeared over the horizon. It wasn't until then that she noticed the pain in her heart.

The young queen had to grow because of the events that transpired. Her heart had to endure and she had to make sacrifices on her own, without any guidance. She learned to trust herself, to believe that whatever decision she makes, no matter how much advice she received from advisors, would ultimately be hers. Eleanor had plans for the future of her kingdom. Marriage was and was not a priority. She knew that she would not be fertile forever, but she was more concerned to find a perfect match. And Eleanor hoped that Francis would make the cut.

The Orb of Tantalus laid now in the catacombs, again encased in its gold chamber. However, its other counterpart, the Orb of Vires, was in danger. Veronica, after having discovered she was tricked, sought to take the two Orbs with a vengeance.

Eleanor had become a beacon of hope and prosperity. She ruled with a guarded heart but a clever mind. Eleanor was set of making sure to heighten Alendar's security and economy. Her determination would lead Alendar into a golden age.

And may she reign till kingdom come.