It is warm here. In the air I smell the incense of lavender, and the bed is soft underneath me, as if someone had managed to capture a cloud and brought it down to Earth. It is so comfortable here.

         My fingers trace the delicate embroideries on the silk blanket that was draped over me, and the ceiling above me was painted with depictions of angels and goddesses. Where else could I find such beauty if not in heaven ?

In an instant, I recalled about the horrors I went through in the dungeons, and I immediately jolted awake. In front of me I saw a vast room, and kneeling on the fine marble flooring were three young ladies, barely older than myself, and neither of them dared to raise their head.

Two of them were dark-haired, while the other one had thick, golden hair. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the dark-haired girls was actually asleep, with her forehead already touching the floor, while blonde girl was fully awake and had a stony expression on her face.

Her verdant green eyes then flickered towards me, and she let out a gasp of shock. "Your Majesty!" she exclaimed loudly and quickly hopped onto her feet, while the other two girls were still groggy and half-asleep.

             "Oh, it is such a blessing that you are now awake, Your Majesty !" she beams.

             "Majesty?" I frown. "Wait, who are you people? What is happening?"

One of the dark-haired girls suddenly appeared by my bedside, her face full of joy and jubilance.
              "Your Majesty, the Duke of Cindertrappe has claimed the crown and threw the bad king Edward into exile! It was glorious, Your Majesty! I was just walking around the city with my sister, then we saw the soldiers marching from both the south and the west!"

                "Shush, Argenta," the blonde haired girl hissed before turning towards me. "Your Majesty, I am Lilliana, daughter of the Baron Reinmar. This is Argenta, daughter of the Lady Brewstere," she says, gesturing to the loud and jovial dark-haired girl with brilliant, bright silver eyes. I recognised the name Brewstere, as they were one of the most prominent merchant families in Rhyland, and I immediately felt akin to her due to our shared hometown.

                "And this is Rosamund, sister of Sir Geoffrey Walrich. We were all chosen by Her Grace, the King's Mother, Princess Anna-Sophia, to serve as your ladies-in-waiting, Your Majesty," Lilliana informs me.

I was silent and filled with disbelief. Is this truly happening right now? Am I now the Queen of Phoenicia? I doubled over, my face covered with my hands as a horrible headache decimated all my thoughts.

At that moment, I heard the door being swung open, followed by rapid footsteps, and in an instant I was enveloped in a tight, warm embrace.
 
               "Annie," that familiar voice said, so tenderly, so sweetly, but my heart felt as if it were a lump of hard, cold ice.

I tried to push him away, but his hold on me was far too strong.
               "Let me go!" I yell through gritted teeth, and hesitantly, he loosened his grip. I noticed that all the ladies had left, and at that moment, only Edmund and I were left in the room.

His face was full of confusion, while mine was burning with rage. Here he was, expecting me to receive his hug as if nothing had happened.
       Where was he when I was locked up in the dungeons? Where was he then? And even after what he did with that stupid harlot, Lacey Rivers.

                  "You laid with her," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "That whore, Lacey Rivers."

Edmund looked at me as if I had just accused him of committing murder, and he quickly shook his head. "No, Annie," he counters. "I never even touched her when we were at Winterbourne Castle. Not even once."

                   "Then whose bastard is she carrying ? A ghost's ?" I scoff.

                   "I would never do something that will bring dishonour to you. Haven't you realised Anne, that I spend every night at Winterbourne Castle with you ? Not once did I leave you alone, did I ?" he spoke calmly.

I was silent, because I knew that he was telling the truth. Each month, he would return to the castle for a week before rushing off to Lockebel, and all those seven nights he spent in my company.

                "It takes time and effort to build an army, Anne, and it has kept me away from you for so long. But I managed to claim the throne with the help of that very army, to make you the queen of this kingdom, my queen ."

      My heart simultaneously softened against my will, and the next words I uttered were gentle and mild. "Our child, what of our child ?"

That question had been lingering in my mind as soon as I woke up and felt my flat stomach, but I could not bring myself to ask about it. Edmund smiled at me, his eyes curving sweetly.
  
                "She's in the royal nursery with her grandmother at this very moment."

                   "It's a girl ?"

                   "She's a lovely girl, Annie. Trust me, she is so adorable that you will feel like all your troubles melted away when you see her."

I smile thinly at him. Unfortunately, she definitely could not melt my troubles away. It is my duty to give him a son, and a girl, no matter how beautiful, cannot be compared to a son, according to the Arrinella branch of faith, that is.

      My own family, who openly endorsed the Aglarose Cordesane, upheld different values. In our household, men and women were equals, and if there were no sons, the daughter could inherit the father's titles without any qualms.

The royal family held onto Arrinellian beliefs, and as I had married the very head of the Arrinella Cordesane, I was expected to adopt their ways as well.

However, neither Edmund and I were staunchly religious, and we never conversed about it.
                  "There will be boys," I assured him. There must be, I whisper to myself.
Being unable to bear sons was a valid enough reason for a divorce according to those godly priests at the Arrinella Cordesane. Edmund was silent when listening to this, and slowly, he nodded.

      It was just as cold and dreadful in the afternoon as it had been in the morning, but I forced myself out of bed so I could finally go and see my daughter. Since I had been asleep for almost two weeks, my mother-in-law chose the name Elisabeth for her, after my sister.

Edmund was correct. Little Elisabeth was indeed lovely, and with a single glance, anyone could tell that she is indeed Edmund's daughter, but it would take more than three glances to tell that she is mine. The shape of her eyes and thick lashes did resemble mine, but nothing more other than that.

My mother-in-law is also here in the nursery, garbed in gold and brocade, with pearls and diamonds adorning her throat and wrists, but I could tell that she was still the same woman who aided and supported me all this time.
      
             "What will be that harlot's fate, Mama ? Is Edmund going to let her off just like that, or is he waiting to see if she will give birth to a son ?" I asked bitterly.
                    "It is almost certain that the child she is carrying is not Ned's. Her claiming that her child has royal blood is a crime in itself. She will certainly be punished, but not now. On the day that the soldiers stormed into the palace, so many lives were lost, and Ned doesn't want to cause any more bloodshed, especially so early in his reign."

                     "Maybe he just doesn't have the heart to kill his old flame," I scoffed with disgust.

                     "It isn't just Lacey Rivers, Anne. Even the old king and queen are still alive as we speak. Ned will deal with them, but not now. The whole world has their eyes on Phoenicia, and Ned doesn't want to be remembered as a tyrant. They will be punished, quietly and discreetly, so you mustn't worry."

I wanted to believe what my mother-in-law said, but I could not. Unlike bad king Edward and his mad queen Jane, Lacey Rivers was not thrown into the dungeons.
        Everyday, I watch as she prances around the palace with maids flaunting her, and I felt as if she were the queen instead of me.

Her clothes began to resemble mine as the days passed, and if I wore a green brocade gown, she would emerge wearing something identical to it a few days later.

My previous grievances had not yet been settled, and now she is trying to challenge my authority again.

       I abhorred Lacey Rivers, and I longed to pull out her hair and send her off to the chopping block. But as the queen, how can I show such terrible conduct?

I did not think of her for long though, as another great event was swiftly approaching. Our coronation. Yes, ours. No queen had ever been coronated alongside the king in the past, and I shall be the first one ever to do so.
Edmund stayed true to the promise he made five years ago, and I was to be an equal co-ruler to him.
     
        Instead of donning Edward and Jane's crowns, my husband had them melted down and made into two new golden circlets, to signify the rebirth of Phoenicia under his reign, just like a phoenix being born from its own ashes.

Phoenicia would start anew, becoming even more powerful than she had ever been before, and this time, House Winterbourne will be by her side, swearing loyalty as long as they are able to grasp onto the phoenix's tail and soar into the sky along with her.

             "Your Majesty, it is time," I hear Lilliana whisper, and I snapped out of my reverie. In the bronze mirror, I saw myself garbed in a gown of gold and caped with ermine, with diamonds decorating my wrists and throat.

      I was bright and radiant, and if Queen Helene were still alive, I was certain that I would outshine her.
I was ushered over to the carriage that would take us to the Arrinella Cordesane, and there, my husband was already waiting.
His smile was warm and tender, his hand outstretched, awaiting for me to receive it. And when I did, his fingers laced around my own tightly, as if he never wanted to let go.

On the way to the Arrinella Cordesane, I could hear the loud cheering of the people, and they would chant 'Long live the King and Queen!' repeatedly without fail.

       Banners featuring the House of Chauvelot's sun in splendour and House of Winterbourne's periwinkle were hung all along the road, and I had never beheld such a beautiful sight in my lifetime.

          The sky was periwinkle blue, and the sun in splendour burned so brightly as if nighttime would never come. The power that has been thrusted in my hands is unshakeable, and never again will I have to bow to another person.

My reign has finally begun.

Hi! If you liked this story, try checking out my other story, which is set in the early 1700s, Catarina and The Prince ! And please vote and comment, it means a lot to me 🥰