Selected: Part 3 - Love and Lace

17. THE SHAMBLES

EVERYTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN ALL at once. The very next day after Gwen's departure and Agatha and I becoming the final two, the Selection didn't even matter so much anymore. It all came crashing down when King Theodore passed away from the infection he'd been fighting. This tragedy had repercussions all around the kingdom as word of this flooded the news and people all over mourned, or celebrated, the loss. Mostly, the lower castes were reckless as his death had brought to light that the many rumors of his crooked acts against them were not rumors at all. His funeral happened quickly, and on a smaller scale that anyone could have expected. The next few days were a complete blur, but amidst all this chaos, my dearest concern was for prince Ethan and the Queen, and how terrible they must be feeling. I wanted to run to him, and make everything okay. But I was powerless against it all, and it seemed all I could do was give him space for now.

Though Ethan put on a strong face for the public, Queen Cordelia was in shambles following the loss. I felt for her and what she must be going through, as I couldn't imagine losing the man I loved most in the world. And yet, no one could've expected the decision she made as a result of this. Unable to cope, Queen Cordelia abdicated the throne, making it so prince Ethan had to prematurely become King. This meant he would receive no further training and be immediately entrusted with all the responsibilities that came with his new title. Moreover, this also meant whoever ended up marrying him would immediately fall into the role of Illéa's new Queen.

It was in the days between Cordelia abdicating the throne and King Ethan's coronation that we were most vulnerable, and, evidently, the rebels took advantage of this instability. Their attack come as no surprise, so we all made it to the safe room without complication. What was surprising though, was that Ethan was prompted by a head guard to suddenly leave the safe room and be transported to a different one. He reassured Agatha and I that he would be alright, and instructed us to stay put with his mother and the staff down here. Agatha was as visibly worried as I, though, after he left, I could not be contented to sit passively with this agonizing feeling. 

I got up, and started doing the rounds, tending to each and every person in the safe room, as I'd seen Ethan do so many times. He would check on everyone's wellbeing, and have the staff who felt more stable provide the others with food or water supplies, if needed. I also stopped by Cordelia, making sure she was okay, both because I cared and Ethan would want me to. She hadn't been eating well since her husband's passing, but I made sure she had enough water and talked to her to keep her mind distracted. I filled the air with conversation about Ethan, hoping to make her feel better. I let her know I thought she did a wonderful job with him, and how I thought he'd make a great King. She didn't respond much, as I supposed she did not feel much like talking, but I hoped she'd appreciate the company nonetheless.

After what felt like forever, Ethan finally came back to us. She stood up abruptly, eyes wide, and ran to him for an embrace. I thought she must have been going crazy thinking what would become of her if she lost her only son so shortly after losing her husband. The painful worry I'd been feeling in my chest suddenly diminished too, and I had to hold myself together to make sure I wouldn't fall apart. It was safe for us to go back upstairs, but in all the chaos, I hadn't gotten the chance to hold Ethan, too. 

There was almost no sign of an attack upstairs, aside from a few things out of place. I felt relief, as it most likely meant there was no violent struggle, but confused all the same. Since Shannon was no longer serving as a spy in the palace, I noted, it seemed as though the southern, more violent rebels had backed down some. I was trying to make sense of it all in my mind when Ethan came knocking at my bedroom door. Given all the stress the past few days had been, it was hardly appropriate, but I nearly jumped in his arms for a tight embrace. He held on to me just as tightly, and rested his chin on my head for a quiet moment between us. "Ethan are you alright...?" I broke the silence, looking up at him. "I am now." He whispered. 

"I must speak with you." He sat me down. "It's been a difficult time, what with everything." He looked away. "I'm so sorry for your loss." I said to him once again, sincerely. "I'm mostly worried for my mother, but one of my first acts as King will be getting her the help she's needed for so long." I assumed he meant psychological support, thinking back to him mentioning his mother's unstable moods, and hoped Cordelia would finally begin to heal. "Which brings me to what I came here to talk about." He started. "I was called earlier to a different safe room to speak with a northern rebel leader." He explained. I would have been shocked, but with all the craziness that had been going on, it was hardly a surprise.

"I will be King soon, and the people are anxious for a change, and they are putting their faith in me and my future Queen for this change." He paused, and looked at me, as if to make sure I was paying attention. "The leaders of this rebel group from the north wish to open up discourse for future collaboration between them and I." He let this declaration sit between us, giving me time to process it all. "What do you think?" He asked, to my surprise. It seemed like an important decision, which required much experience in training in the role he was getting ready to take, and yet, he valued my opinion in the matter. 

I wasn't sure what to say, until I looked back at him, and saw doubt in his eyes, mixed with fear. I felt as though he was anxious to do this on his own. He'd been thrust so quickly into his new title, with his father gone and no one to help finish his training. I realized he felt scared, and all I wanted was to hold him and reassure him that he would be nothing short of amazing. "I think you should hear them out." I started, tentatively. "They represent an important part of the population, and working with them may help ease the tensions between us and other rebel groups as well. I think you can work out compromises with them, and their ideas may help give you a place to start with the changes you wish to make for the future of Illéa."

He smiled warmly, and I felt him inch closer to me. "I'm so glad I came to you." He said, simply, and a calm settled between us. I really felt as though things were coming to an end, and Ethan was getting ready to make the biggest decisions for the rest of his and our lives. All I could do was be there for him and support him in these decisions.