Chapter Nineteen:

Honored

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Harriet wasn't sure when she noticed, but the darkness that surrounded her wasn't nearly as dark as before, instead a warm glowing umber. She let out a small sigh through her lips, cracking her eyes open briefly before them shutting them again tightly.

The room was far too bright, but she tried again anyway, allowing her eyes to adjust to the golden sunlight streaming in through the window directly across from the bed she was laying in. For a moment she simply relished in the feeling of being awake and in a warm, comfortable bed for the first time in over a month, but as she blinked owlishly and stifled a yawn, her eyes caught the reflection of sunlight on blonde hair.

Turning her head to the side, Harriet froze as she took in the sight of her older sister's sleeping form. When she had last seen Clara, she had been more than seven months pregnant, and Harriet's face paled as she saw that her sister certainly wasn't that.

Sitting up quickly, Harriet reached for her sister's hand that was resting on top of her bed. With shaking hands, she grabbed hold of Clara's hand, causing her blonde haired sister to wake up from her light slumber.

"Harriet! Oh thank goodness you are awake!" Clara cried as soon as her grey eyes met Harriet's matching ones but before her sister could hug her, Harriet put up her hands.

"Are you okay? Where is the baby? I'm so sorry!" Harriet said, her words tumbling from her mouth freely. However, instead of yelling, Clara just gave her a tight hug. For a second Harriet was momentarily relieved, but then Clara backed away and smacked Harriet up the side of the head.

"Never do that to me again. Never. And yes, I'm fine and so are the babies."

"Babies?" Harriet's eyes grew several sizes as Clara's scowling face broke into the smile that it was known for.

"Yes, babies. Twins to be exact, a boy and a girl. They're with Frederick and Leopold right now." Harriet raised an eyebrow at the sound of Frederick and Leopold looking after the twins. She would've thought that Clara wouldn't let the babies out of her sight. "Frederick insisted on looking after them while I was in here and as you know, Leopold and Frederick are a packaged deal of sorts."

Harriet definitely knew that, and since they weren't in here, Harriet felt a little unsure of what her brother-in-law and her- her thought process stopped. What was Leopold to her? Her mind settled on friend, but it didn't feel like a fitting title. Regardless, she had no idea what they thought of her.

"Can I see them?" Harriet asked her voice raising hopefully as she turned her focus to the subject of her niece and nephew. She had missed their birth, but she was determined to be a good aunt. That is if their mother let her.

"You can in a bit. First we have some things to talk about." Harriet swallowed dryly before leaning back on her pillows uncomfortably. Oh boy, she was not looking forward to this.

Harriet watched as her sister smoothed her lavender skirts and placed her hands delicately in her lap; the very picture of a queen that was accentuated by the gleaming golden crown on her head. She must've had to address some people earlier that day, otherwise Clara wouldn't be wearing the crown.

Clara gazed at her for a moment, her eyes going up and down Harriet's form as if ensuring herself that Harriet was really there.

"What made you think that was a good idea?" Clara asked quietly, and Harriet tried not to cringe. Clara's quiet voice had always been more deadly than her shouting one. It meant that Clara had carefully thought over her words and now was determined to say her piece.

"I- well, I know it wasn't," Harriet said, looking down at her own hands sheepishly. "I know it was stupid, and I know that what I did hurt you, but it was unintentional and I'm sorry that it did. I know you probably won't believe or forgive me, but I-" Harriet's voice cracked and she gulped down a breath of air. "I  had to do it. It was selfish and stupid, but I'm glad I did it all the same."

The sunny room was quiet as Harriet's words hung in the air between the two women. Harriet waited for her sister to say something. She heard a quiet sigh leave her sister's lips and the bed dipped as Clara took a seat beside her, wrapping her arms around Harriet.

"There's nothing to forgive, Harriet. You wouldn't be my spunky and confident little sister if you had acted any differently. However, that's not to say you're not still in trouble," Clara said, squeezing Harriet's uninjured shoulder. "Don't worry, it's nothing too terrible."

Harriet looked at her sister skeptically. Nothing too terrible? Seeing the smile on Clara's face, Harriet began to feel a little suspicious. Oh she definitely had an idea of what her "punishment" would be.

"There's a ball coming up to celebrate the end of the war. You will be there, early, and you will stay late. You will also enjoy yourself."

"Clara, you're asking me to enjoy myself at a ball? I don't think that's possible," Harriet retorted, but Clara's lips just curled into a secretive smile as her grey eyes shone. Clara was up to something.

"It might be more possible than you think." Harriet did not like Clara's smirk. Clara with a smirk was not natural, but she didn't have time to pester her more about it as the door opened and her brother-in-law walked in, two little bundles in his arms.

For a moment, Harriet's heart stopped and she looked back and forth between Clara and the two babies.

"Can I hold them?" She asked hopefully, and Frederick immediately nodded, helping her hold onto the one swaddled in a blue blanket. Clara took hold of the other one wrapped in a light yellow blanket.

Harriet stared down at the baby in her arms, her throat closing up a little. He had Frederick's brown hair, pink cheeks, and as his mouth gave a little yawn, Harriet was unsurprised to feel tears prick at her eyes.

Frederick began to chuckle quietly. Harriet turned her head to look at him, but he was just shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"Look at you; a brave fighter crying over a baby," Frederick said fondly, and Harriet gave a watery laugh. He was right. She had made it through a war, getting shot in the shoulder, stabbed in the back by someone she had counted as a friend, and meeting a dragon, and here she was crying from just holding her nephew for all of a few seconds.

"They're beautiful, Clary," Harriet whispered to her sister. Clara just nodded. "What are their names?"

"We decided on Evangeline Katherine and Wilhelm Harrold. As you can tell, we decided to name their middle names after two wonderful people," Clara replied, and Harriet furrowed her brow in slight confusion. Katherine was obviously their late mother, but she'd never met a Harrold.

"Harrold?" Frederick let out another small laugh.

"Well, we couldn't very well call him Wilhelm Harriet. I think he would've objected to that once he got older." Harriet stilled instantly, gaping at her sister and Frederick.

"You named him after me?" Harriet said, her voice cracking at the end. Clara just smiled sweetly before kissing the top of her head.

"We did. Of course at the time we had thought it was to possibly remember you by, but upon hearing from Leopold, we found it was a more fitting name than we had originally thought," Clara gave an unladylike snort of laughter. "We gave our son the name my sister chose to use as she pretended to be a man."

Harriet blushed, her cheeks reddening. "I thought you said Frederick was with Leopold?" She asked before she could stop herself. Clara and Frederick exchanged a look, but didn't say anything before Frederick cleared his throat.

"He had to leave to tend to something. The whole castle is busy getting ready for the honors ceremony."

"Oh. Will we be staying for it?" Harriet asked, earning herself a strange look from Frederick.

"Yes, we're staying for it. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I just- I mean-"

"I'm still a king, Harriet. I'll be helping Leopold hand out honors to the men who participated in the war. Your friend, Garreth will be getting a special honor."

"That's nice," Harriet said, before turning her focus back to her slumbering nephew. She was trying not to think about the fact that Frederick had said men not soldiers. She had expected to get anything, or to be honored at all, but she had hoped that after all of this she could've been seen and accepted as a soldier. That was what she was, but it seemed the roles of soldier and woman conflicted with each other slightly.

"When is the ceremony?"

"Well, I guess it will be either later today or tomorrow."

"You didn't know before hand?"

"Leopold wanted to wait to make sure the soldiers had time to heal a little before the ceremony. He was very adamant about waiting."

"But won't it be difficult to get everyone here on short notice?" Harriet asked. Surely it would take more time for the people of Ecrivenia and Marenta to travel to the castle.

"Honestly, almost everyone has been dwindling in over the past couple of days. Now, if you'll excuse me, I better go find Leopold," Frederick said, holding out his arms for Wilhelm. Harriet passed the child to his father without complaint, giving the baby a kiss on the head before letting him go. "I'm glad to see you're awake, Harriet. I'll see you later, darling," Frederick said, talking to Clara who nodded, watching him go fondly.

"You have no idea what a wonderful father he has been so far, Harriet," Clara said once the door had closed. "I honestly think he is a better parent than I am. The other day he actually took Evangeline to a meeting with his advisers because he knew I needed to rest. And he's always more than happy to get up at night if one of the twins is crying."

"I'm sure you're just as wonderful a mother, Clara. After all, haven't you technically been one since James was born?" Harriet said, referring to the role Clara had played in her siblings' lives. She had been both mother and sister. Of course she was a great mother. It was impossible for her to be anything else. Clara smiled in answer, looking down at her daughter.

"I probably should get going as well, Harriet. I need to make sure everything is ready for us to leave after the ceremony. I'm quite anxious to get home. Gardenia has been in charge for the past few days with your brother and sister as well. I don't even want to think about what the palace will look like when we return."

"I'm sure Mrs. Landon kept them in line."

"I can only hope. I'll be back in an hour or two," Clara said, getting to her feet before pausing. "I love you, Harriet."

"Love you too, sis," Harriet replied, watching as her older sister left the room with her daughter nestled in her arms.

Clara was already a great mother. It was funny how she still had trouble seeing it, but Harriet knew Frederick would make sure she knew.

Harriet leaned back against her pillows even more, letting a sigh escape her mouth. It was the first time she'd been alone since waking up and she knew she had lots to think about, but she honestly felt like sleeping more than anything.

She must have dozed off because what felt like moments later, she was being shook awake by her sister.

"C'mon, Harriet. You need to get up. The ceremony has already started."

"I thought I wasn't going," Harriet said, her voice tired. Clara stared back at her with an incredulous look on her face.

"Of course you're going. Whatever gave you that idea?" Harriet just shook her head. She really did not want to explain her thought process.

In record time, Harriet found herself dressed and ready, but her sister had refrained from dressing her in a dress. Instead she was dressed in court clothes meant for men with dark trousers and a green top. Neither Clara nor Harriet commented on it, and Harriet didn't need to.

Clara was the queen of hidden sentimental meanings. Allowing Harriet to wear men's clothes was probably the surest sign of Clara's acceptance of whatever or whoever she wanted to be that Harriet had seen in awhile.

Within moments, Harriet was being led towards what must have been the throne room, and both Clara and Harriet slipped in unnoticed by everyone accept the men who opened the doors for them.

The room was filled to the brim with applauding people. They must have been applauding for whoever last got honored as a man with a medal pinned to his shirt returned to join the crowd.

Everyone from the poor to the wealthy were pressed inside, and Clara and Harriet took up a place at the back, far away from the dais that Leopold and Frederick were standing on. Upon seeing the awake twins, Harriet quickly assumed that they were at the back for the reason that it was closest the entrance so Clara could easily tend to them if one of them started to cry. It would make sense. Clara was always the sensible one.

Looking around the stone-walled room, Harriet scanned the sea of faces before finally finding Garreth. He was situated a ways away, but upon finding him, his eyes quickly met hers and he sent her a smile. She was about to move towards him when suddenly the room was filled with silence.

Harriet turned her attention to Leopold who was standing on the dais his hand raised. As the room quieted he began to speak.

"As many of you know, soldiers for our side came from everywhere, and I am personally thankful that the man in question joined our ranks. Lastly, Garreth McIntosh, please come forwards."

The crowd parted like the sea and Garreth walked forwards, his head held high, before kneeling before Leopold.

"Garreth McIntosh of Carigan, you have my and my country's thanks. You will always be welcome here. I declare you a knight of the realm." It was straightforward and to the point, but it got the job done and in moments the crowd was once again applauding. However, Harriet couldn't help but notice as Leopold leaned in and whispered something quietly to Garreth who must have answered back because Harriet suddenly found herself on the receiving end of Leopold's gaze.

Harriet swallowed, trying to contain her nerves. It was the first time she had seen him since waking up and she had no idea what to do.

"As many of you are aware after the events of three days ago, there is one person who has not been honored for their service, but I have saved them for last because they are not like the men before them. They have ridden dragons, hid their identity, and risked their life, but yet we were all ignorant to a key factor. This person is a woman."

The throne room plunged into silence but whispers started up almost immediately. It was clear to Harriet that the majority of the people gathered had been more than aware that someone had been up on the rampart on the night of the parade and Carigan's attack, but no one had known who it was. Looking at Leopold, she felt dread bubble up within her stomach. Leopold was going to tell them.

"Harriet Corden, please come forwards."

For a second she didn't move, but her sister gave her a gentle push and as she moved forwards people backed away from her, some staring at her in shock, others in wonder, and some in complete disbelief. As she got closer to the dais, she found it harder and harder to meet Leopold's eyes until she was right in front of him and staring at the ground instead of his face.

Harriet knelt in front of Leopold, her knees aching and her shoulder throbbing, keeping her head down. While she would like to think that she had been summoned to be honored like the rest of the men, the fact of the matter was that she was not the rest of the men, as Leopold had obviously pointed out.

"Harriet Corden. You have disobeyed direct orders, lied to your superiors, and broken more laws than I can count," Leopold said, his voice echoing in the hushed silence of the throne room. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her back, boring into her, but she tried not to pay attention to them, instead staring down at Leopold's black boots. "And you have done all of this to save us all, even when everyone told you that you had no right to. I, and the entire country, owe you our thanks."

"I declare you, Harriet Corden, a Knight of Marenta," Leopold finished, his voice booming, and Harriet's head snapped up so she could meet his eyes. For a second they made eye contact but the sound of sputtering behind Leopold caused her attention to drift. A portly man with a mustache and bulging eyes was staring at Harriet and Leopold in shock.

"But sir! She is a woman! She has broken laws! She summoned a dragon-"

"And she is honored and will forever have my thanks," Leopold said, cutting across the chubby man's words. As his words reached the ears of everyone in the hall, applause began to start, and it felt to Harriet as if the room was ringing with the sounds of clapping hands.

Leopold turned back around to face Harriet, holding out a hand for her to take. With shaky hands, she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet. They stared at each other for a moment, before Leopold gave her a small smile and allowed Frederick to pull her away.

It took several more minutes for the ceremony to disband, but before she knew it, Harriet was finding herself being shuffled towards a carriage that was to take Clara, Frederick, their children, and Harriet home to Ecrivenia.

Everything seemed to pass her by in a daze, and she was more than happy at being named a knight, but something was missing. But it wasn't until she was being carried away that she realized what it was.

Leopold.

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So there it is. An update. Apologies for not updating sooner but I will refrain from promising when I can update next. I think what we've all learned from this (myself included) is that I do not keep an update schedule easily. So basically, you'll get it when you get it. Sorry, but it's the truth.

I'm aware that this chapter is kind of rushed but it was like pulling teeth. I think this honestly is the first chapter of the story I genuinely don't like, but even though I would've preferred to work on it a few more days, I am aware of the fact that many of you have been waiting for it for a while. So here it is.

Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on what name they wanted for twins' names.

*the above gif is from the movie, Mulan*