they married for duty.
they ruled for the realm.
they fought for justice.
but they healed for each other.
A story in which two broken souls, brought together by chance, find solace with one another in the aftermath of a war.
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Pre and Post R...
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XXVII. Duties of a Daughter
Livia had decided to drop by the small hospital and was overjoyed to see it thriving.
It had only been a week's time yet with the small help she provided, many of the soldiers were on their way to recovery.
With the improved conditions, the soldiers' families could already visit and see the improvement their fathers, brothers, husbands, sons have made.
As she smiled at the people present and accepted thanks from everyone, she felt a tugging at her skirt. Looking down, she saw a little girl looking up at her with a smile.
The girl had her hair tied into two braids, and was quite young. Perhaps that was why the guards failed to stop her from getting near. With the number of people coming to see her, the guards were more nervous than usual.
"Queen Livia?" The girl asked with a small voice.
"Yes?" Livia said, crouching down to speak to the girl with a smile on her face. "What is your name?"
"My name is Aldith, my queen. I just want to thank you for taking care of my papa." The little girl said, pointing to the soldier that Livia helped Jeyne with by feeding him the milk of the poppy.
If her small acts had been helping little girls like Aldith then it was more than worth it. "Do you see that woman over there? Her name is miss Jeyne, she has been the one doing things. I have only been helping."
"Still, if you hadn't helped, Papa said he would have died. He told me I should do something for you so I made you this." Aldith said, pulling out a white cloth embroidered with gold thread forming what looked like a stag and a lion.
Livia took it from the little girl, letting out a small laugh of delight. "Such talent! You are very good at this, Aldith. Thank you!"
Aldith smiled cheerfully at being complimented. "Thank you for being a good queen. The people are saying that it's been a long time since we have had one."
Livia's heart warmed at that. With her and Robert's hands on the kingdom's reigns, it was only right that they govern the kingdom properly.
With another smile at the girl, Livia stood as Aldith ran back to her father, clearly uplifted at having been able to speak to the queen.
Livia looked down at the small piece of cloth. It was so simple, so pure. Anyone could have made one but it was made for her by one of her subjects, one of the people she had left.
Perhaps it was a sign that what she'd been doing is beginning to make amends for everything.
Different lands have already dissolved their unease, their leaders settled thanks to Robert, completely calm at the thought of having a king and queen.
Perhaps she and Robert were already helping much by ruling. They were already helping the people. Aldith and the people of the kingdom were proof of that.
