Continue with Some Drama for Now…

Edythe the Second looked at you with confusion, “What does she mean?”

You sigh at the ignorance Sir Trindon **** on his daughters. “She is meaning that taking Katherine & you as concubines was an effort to avoid a civil war. Your father is a traitorous idiot beyond what he tried to do with your mother & you.”

That got Edythe the First’s attention, “What did he do?” Then she looked at her sister accusingly. Stepping out of the embrace she crossed her arms over her modest bosom & began glaring at her sister.

Katherine blushed with shame for something she never thought she would be held accountable, she looked contrite & apologetic. “I am sorry, Edythe… you know how it is when we are married. Especially with the man I was given to… He used **** & **** so that his choices were always my choices.”

“****? Do you mean your two younger daughters are also in danger because his plan is for not?” You ask abruptly.

Katherine grimaced, “Maybe… I don't know, Your Highness.

“It makes me feel horrible to say this about my own daughters. I even thought it about my tyrtyr {old word for daughter} Edythe until about halfway through our trip here.”

“Mother!?!” Edythe the Second exclaimed, shocked at her mother. She knew exactly what the shame was to feel about.

“Yes… my hus… Sir Trindon is very skillful in turning people against each other. That is how he conquers people; he only took the land deal because it had a border he can exploit.”

“So, he is still going to start a war?” You asked incredulously. You wondered why you ever took the man at his word… except you knew the answer. As a knight, Sir Trindon is expected to follow a code that was followed by all nobility. In that code was the command to honor your word.

“Yes, but now he is going to use the border to mask his intentions. Occupying undisputed land is already going to make the Vrill suspicious of your intentions.”

“Get back to the part of which you are ashamed Katherine…” Edythe the First commanded as if she was still Queen.

As of habit Katherine complied without questioning it. “lil'Edythe, Mary & Agytha both have given me every reason to question their allegiance to anyone other than Sir Trindon.” She winced at including the daughter present.

“Mother! How could you think I was on his side?”

“As I said our last night there, I already knew you two were fucking even before he announced his plans to get rid of me. It is only by the King’s grace that we were not sold into a worse situation. Now… we possibly might have a future for your children.”

Edythe the Second grimaced at her mother’s accusation, she must have thought of a few situations that could have been construed as falling in line with Sir Trindon. She sinks herself into your body.

Gracefully you embrace her with an arm & whisper in her ear, “Keep in mind your mother already said she realized her error.” She nodded her head slightly before clearing her throat and standing up straighter. Though she is still leaned into you.

“How could I do otherwise mother? He began **** me on my seventeenth birthday when no noble’s son showed any interest in me during my fifteenth or sixteenth season?

“If I didn’t cave, he would have told you the same thing & with mock outrage, thrown me out of the castle with nothing but the cloths on my back. He told me this directly!

“Where were you to protect your daughters from facing that choice?” Edythe the Second asked with her own accusation.

A tear fell down Katherine’s face. Edythe the First, looked at her sister with a forlorn expression, whatever misgivings she had before were forgotten as she took in the bewildering fight between mother & daughter.

Edythe the First, embraced her sister again, “Come on Katherine, I’ll take you inside. Our citizens can do without this public display of royal drama.”

Katherine leaned into the embrace for comfort but shook her head, “No, my tyrtyr Edythe is right I failed her & her sisters as their mother… I should have fought more and found a way…”

There were still lingering questions, but you realize your mother is right. “Maybe, maybe not… everyone has their breaking point, & you already said Sir Trindon is skilled at finding them. In addition, only God knows what would have truly happened if you had fought more.

“Lady Edythe is right, we need to move to our royal chambers.”

As much as making royal drama public is frowned upon, you used what you had to publicly shame Trindon. It would just be hearsay, & thus he would be unable to sue for redress of slander.

With that we moved on, but nothing was really resolved. Even Dobra was taken back by the drama. At least Misha & Dobra all still saw you as the hero even in this situation… and perhaps you are, but you can win & still lose.