The Queen

Chapter Seventeen

Die? What did he mean she would die? Shaken still thinking about it, she drew in an unsteady breath. He had explained it to her that it was a very old law, but as she already knew, he was unable to change the law.

Death due to disobedience. In her heart, she knew that it was not hard to obey the rules when you love the one who made them.

As true as that was, she was still shaken by the knowledge that she could go weeks on end without seeing her husband and she would not have the right to go see him on her own terms.

He did, however, give her a little nugget of wisdom. He told her that the only way one could escape the death penalty was if he extended his golden scepter to them. That meant they had found favor with the King. The trick was, he didn't always have it with him.

In fact, she had never even seen him wear his crown so the chances of seeing him with a scepter seemed slim. Better be safe and never try to see him unless he sent for her.

She sighed and picked up the note on her bedside table. She smiled. It was from Mark. She knew his handwriting anywhere.

Beautiful One,

Congratulations! I am so pleased your marriage is official today. You are going to be an amazing Queen!

Our King has found his strength. A king cannot be a king without the strength of his queen. Therefore, your life is now much like a game of chess, and your duty is much the same — a Queen's role is to protect her King.

In return, he will also protect you because he understands what its like when the crown gets a little too heavy.

The crown that sits upon your head sits there not as a symbol of royalty that might denote one who is to be served, but it sits there as a symbol of one who gives of herself, voluntarily, for the benefit of those by whose name she is called.

You were always a Queen. A crown is just a hat that lets the rain in. A true Queen is more than the crown that she wears. It is what's inside that defines her.

The title may give you cause to change your character, but don't give in to it. He chose you because of who you are now, not because of someone he wants to see you become.

A true King has no intention of trying to change, control, or silence his Queen. He wants his wife to be just as strong and tactfully outspoken as him, with her own mind and her own opinions.

He will not feel inferior to her if she has the spotlight shown on her but instead will feel proud. Because he knows that her strength is a reflection of his own. Iron sharpens iron.

You are not in competition with him or anyone else. You are a team. Work together and keep communicating.

I wish you a lifetime of happiness, my dear! You deserve to be truly happy!

With much love and pride,

Mark

A light tap on her door told her it was time. "I'll be right there." She called as she placed the letter in her bag. Ms. Hannah had promised to move all her things to the King's suite this morning.

Another tap. "I'm coming." She hurried to open the door. It wouldn't be proper to keep the groom waiting on their wedding day.

The door opened before she could reach it. It was Mark. He quickly closed the door behind himself and uttered an apology, "I'm so sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be here — " She stopped him with a hug. She had missed her cousin. More than he knew.