The wimp lay beside her, cuddling on her chest. His warm damp breaths tickled her neck. Traces of doing her 'duty' last night was apparent on the disorderly bed sheets and stained blankets. Her aching back and tired flesh also spoke of that dirty affair.
Ash didn't want this. Every night she does her duty, she would feel disgust after. But it was her duty. She was born the daughter of Marquis Sachi Brent. She needed this... disgusting act to finally put an end to the shame of her family.
Her father was one of those who betrayed King Timothy during the Castonian Civil War. Ash heard that her father sided with the Wismarines instead of helping their ally, King Timothy. When messengers on horse arrived to tell the tale of her father's betrayal, Ash felt shame. She never imagined, even in the darkest bleakest corners of her imagination, that her father would be involved in an act so shameful. She wanted to hide forever. The Brent family, rulers of Coldford, was shamed.
So when news spread that King Timothy and Queen Lucia were marching to Canton, she saw it fit to side with them. They were the ones first betrayed. Naturally it was her duty to serve them and restore her family's lost honor. Even if that meant breaking their vows of loyalty to the wimp cuddling her breasts right now, she saw that siding with the invaders was the right thing to do.
When she approached the Union's camp in the middle of the night, she was of course stopped by the watchful sentries. Still in her muddy nightgown, she requested to see the fabled King and Queen of the Union. They forgave her and her family's transgressions that night. She offered to open the gates of Coldford but the Queen refused. In those intelligent blue eyes of Queen Lucia, Ash saw something hatch- something plotty. That night she went back to Coldford. The Union took the city the next day with her help and nobody thought of her as the Union's ally. Queen Lucia then sent her as a spy to various nobles. Her efforts were significant. Their victory at Seyton Hill was due to her warning. When the Union routed the combined Inkish and Hadean near the town of Veil, it was because of her information.
If her betrayal was known, she would be cursed by many. They would think of her as a traitor. That might be true. It was her duty to restore the honor of her family and to give the Cantonese a better King. The wimp beside her was neither cruel nor evil. But King Harold is weak. He stutters when he speak. His advisers and banner men had been taking advantage of him. The wimp would lead Canton to chaos. A good but weak person is as bad as a cruel one when seated on the throne. To Harold the wimp, she could only apologize. Their feelings were not mutual and they were fighting on opposite sides in this war.
"Y..you are a..awake" the wimp said while looking at her with his innocent eyes.
"I am my love" Ash faked her sweet tone "Although tiredness still lingered in my body after last night"
"Was...was I too rough? I... I apologize" the wimp embraced her "Te..tell me if I am hurting you. I don't want to hurt y...you"
He was sincere, Ash knew that. And knowing that he is sincere added to her guilt. He is a good person, kind and caring, Ash told herself in silence. But he is not fit to be King. She felt sorry for him. If only their situation is different. But the wimp was the King she was trying to depose and her family owed a debt of betrayal to the monarchs of the Union.
"No" Ash sat on the bed. She looked away and bit her guilt on her lips. "I am alright Your Majesty"
"Ca..call me Harold. I..I want you to. You... you will become my Queen"
She didn't want to. Canton already had a Queen and Ash had seen the deepness of her intelligence in her blue eyes. Only King Timothy and Queen Lucia should lead her nation. Even if they would let others rule in their stead, then that monarch should only be a puppet.
"You honor me too much Harold. I am fine being a concubine. I am merely the youngest child of Marquis Sachi. I am not worthy of you"
"No!" The wimp said without even stuttering. He held her hand "You will be my Qu..ueen. Y..you are more than worthy"
"Thank you. Truly, thank you" Ash said something sincere- a rare thing in their conversations. She then rose and donned her clothes "I would bring you breakfast"
"Have..ve the servants to bring it here"
Ash bowed "But I insist. Don't worry I will make haste. I know you are hungry"
She went out of the room and went directly to the kitchen. She considered going to her room to send another letter to Queen Lucia. But Sarah Wismar hadn't done anything in the past days. She heard tales about Sarah, tales of her unspeakable acts and antics. Ash's heart almost stopped when she saw Falconheads march into Mythrille. She knew the danger they bring. When she discovered that the one leading them was the Wismarine Princess, she had the urge to write a letter to Queen Lucia immediately.
But Sarah, for her reputation, had been acting tamed. Maybe the rumors were false? The world is large and stories lose their truth the farther they travel. Maybe tales of her grim deeds were just false rumors after all.
When Ash was walking back to the wimp's room, carrying a tray filled with bread, cheese and wine soup, she saw the person she didn't want to see the most. So she is finally making a move, Ash thought.
"Ash right?" Sarah was smiling towards her. Her thin garments were of Wismarine design. The golden rings on all of her fingers were eye-catching- or eye sores depending on the person. She wasn't really a beauty. But her smile was so sweet that one would forget the cruel rumors about her.
"I am Your Highness" Ash bent her knee a little, careful not to show that they were trembling already.
"Oh food" She pinched a chunk of the bread "For the wimp right?"
Ash's eyes widened as Sarah's smile also did. She looked down. "For King Harold Your Highness"
"Exactly. The wimp"
"King Harold is not a wimp Your Highness"
"But you do think that he is right?" Sarah leaned closer. Her mouth was near Ash's ear. "I can read characters. I am an expert in such. I have read yours- the way you speak, the tone of your voice, the words of your choosing. We can guess a lot about the character of a person just from those things. I have been watching you Ash. Call it intuition or luck but you were the first person I noticed when I first came here. You think he is a wimp right? You don't really like him. But I can't really blame you. In fact I should praise you! Oh what a good move. You appeal to his carnal desires to control him. I did that once, or twice, or yes many times. One of them was Prince Ivan of Castonia. Foolish man that lad. An easy job manipulating him. The poor lad converted to the faith of Ashkara. So just so you know, it works"
Ash's knees further trembled. Her heart throbbed fast. Sarah was as vicious and dangerous as they say she is.
"I..I don't know what you are saying Yo..your Highness" Ash stuttered like the wimp.
"You do" Sarah's voice is chilling. It was a wonder how she could change the tone of her voice so suddenly. And then Sarah struck the final blow. "You are spying for Queen Lucia aren't you?"
In that moment, time stopped for Ash. It was over. She would die. She looked at the two Falconheads that served as Sarah's guards. They were silent- as silent as her soon to be grave. Would she taste the bite of the cold sword they were holding?
"I will tell you what I'm going to do next. You are free to report this to them. I will attack your home, Coldford in five days. I will come from the east through a pass in the Crimson Plateau. After I take Coldford, the Union's monarchs will be trapped in Haraldshome. Of course I could be lying. The possibility is high that I would do something else. Decisions Ash. Decisions make us or kill us. Their decisions will decide life and death"
Sarah walked away with her guards and left Ash shaking in fear. She forced to ask, "Why?"
"Because I want to play games Ash" Sarah said, her voice waned as their distance lengthened "Life is boring without games to play"