Her Crown

XXXI

"Excuse me there is no need for that." Victoria snaps as the young boy no older than about eight along with a few of his mates stood with fake swords they had made out of sticks they had found on the ground in the forest. 

"We hear you have Mr Gulliver prisoner. What are you gonna do to him?" The main young boy who had pulled her arm aggressively was the others raise their twig swords at her to emphasises what the boy had said. 

"That is not ... " Victoria starts to explain but she knew in her heart if Johnathan or Alessandra asked her something like that she would feel awful lying to their faces. 

"So it is true! I want to see him burnt at the stake. My dad says that is the best on to see." The leader of the gang shouts and Victoria grimaces in response at the thought of a public burning. 

She knew in her heart that the court would probably rule for a public punishment but it just wasn't her style. Victoria would rather kill him low key or just keep him locked in the cell forever. The idea of young children her owns age and older seeing a public punishment on her land made her feel physically sick she may be a ruthless Queen to some but she did not want her people to see that sort of thing. Even if Gulliver had tried once again to ruin House Demure. 

"Yeah or Hang him in the court yard my uncle got that at the Valois' when he tried to steal a pallet of apples." One of the smallest boys of the group pipes up as Victoria shakes her head at the boys. 

"I am afraid his punishment is yet to be determined. You boys run along now and do not get yourselves in any trouble especially with the other houses." Victoria warns and the young boys salute her like the army officials they had seen do the same on army inspections. 

Looking through the door way of Beatrice's home sh watched as they cradled their new born son in her jacket a stray tear falling down her cheek as she heard Mr Leary call her name. Rushing over to him as he passed out the last box of vegetables. He frowned thinking his sight was fooling him as he was pretty sure she arrived with a riding jacket on. 

"Ma'am did you not have a jacket on when you arrived?" Mr Leary questioned and Victoria nods.

"Oh yes I did. Mr Leary I wrapped a young couples new born baby in it that I helped deliver." Victoria nonchalantly states as his and a few surrounding people's eyes bulged out of their head. 

Wondering if they had heard things that she had just delivered someone's baby as if it was the most natural thing in the world. A young woman almost dropping a full pallet of green vegetables on the floor in shock as Victoria looked at them all waiting for them to speak. 

"Ma'am did you just? Where is this couple I must check over both mother and baby this instant." Mr Leary exclaims breaking out of his daze as she pointed to the house at the end of the row smiling happily. 

"Is there any thing you cannot do ma'am." One of the woman says as she bounced her young son on her hip a small bump of her own clear when she turned to the the to face her other two children who were play fighting in the middle of the street. 

"Well after having three of my own you pick up a few things. Now I must be on my way my own will be wondering where their mother has gotten to." Victoria excuses herself as Miss Williams helped her onto her horse 

Riding back to the house as the children screamed and waved at her showing off their new toys as she went. The parents waving as best they could carrying their new clothes and boxes of vegetables. Leaving Victoria's heart couldn't be more full but she knew she had to find a more permanent replacement for the town's doctor and after she had dealt with Gulliver she was going to find out why on earth the town's doctor jumped ship to the Valois. 

But it was on step at a time. Placing her horse back in the stables as Miss Lincon rushed over to her ready to take her riding jacket which was obviously no existent so she instead took the staddle of the horse feeding it a carrot as a treat which it took the moment Miss Lincon held it out to the horse. Victoria picked up a brush and gave his mane a quick going over after many people had stroked it. As Miss Lincon piped up. 

"I heard Mr Dennon has been having some trouble with Gulliver ma'am. He is refusing to eat until you let him out." Miss Lincon states taking his reigns off of him placing them on a hook at the back of the stable as Victoria sighed in annoyance. 

Why was he making this so hard for himself. Victoria knew exactly why he knew she had lot on her plate it was like a small avalanche as many different problems had started to arise. Sighing Victoria thought about how she was going to fix this with the last amount of fallout. She knew Gulliver was being difficult with Mr Dennon as he knew he was on the case trying to figure out how they penetrated the wall of the house even on lock down. 

"A Queen's job is never done." Victoria remarked heading out of the stables wiping down her dress of the dust from the hay. 

Heading straight down to the cells once again. It was a shame she couldn't go and have dinner with Johnathan and Alessandra but this was of higher importance. Reminding herself to make it up to them at a later point hating the fact Miss Florence and Miss Williams were spending quality time with her children and she wasn't. What if Alessandra started walking she thought almost making herself feel even more guilty if she missed that milestone. Practically pulling the door off its hinges as she walked in and Gulliver jumped up from the wall he was propped up against. A scowl firmly on his face. 

"Acting this way is not going to do you any favours Gulliver!" Victoria snaps as Gulliver smiles at her. 

"Well it got you to visit me hasn't it. Ma'am" Gulliver emphasis the ma'am part of the sentence as Victoria sighed knowing this was not going to be easy.