39 Food for Talk (1/2)

From the throne room, the people streamed down the grand stairs, out onto the entrance steps, and down again, onto the courtyard where five wheeled biers stood in a neat line. Lodged securely atop these biers were open caskets, within which lay five dead men, all surrounded by white and yellow flowers.

Around these black-and-gray-painted contraptions that were further accented by streams of black and gray cloths, the people arranged themselves. They left an avenue open for the families and soldiers that were soon to stream down after them.

When they came, three more events happened that – like the contest that took place back at the throne room – would also serve to feed the Queendom's rumor mill for a long time to come.

The first was that, with no hesitation at all, Princess Hilde went to stand by her brother's bier. Those who'd anticipated from her a scandalous show of defiance were shocked into gaping. They looked at the Princess, and then they looked at the bier ahead, wherein lay the person who everyone now knew was the true cause of her grief.

The young woman they envisioned from the stories, or from witnessing her past behavior with their own eyes, would have gone straight to that other bier, no matter the consequences. Add to this how that person's father just made it clear he could be induced to make her dream come true, and the rumormongers' confusion increased even more.

There were those who did not miss the way her own aunt did a double take upon seeing Hilde stopping behind her elder sister, on the right side of their brother's casket. Even the Princess Gisela had been momentarily snapped out of her seemingly fathomless preoccupation to blink at her cousin who stood opposite her own place at the left.

Only the Queen did not flinch. She stared ahead, face serene despite the recent marks of crying. To her, it was as if this development was not something out of the ordinary. Some might even say she had fully expected it to happen.

These few snuck glances at the Lord General. Would he also take Princess Hilde's move for what it appeared to be? They found, however, that he was not even aware of what had just happened.

The reason was the second cause of murmurings among witnesses: one of the Lyseans had approached Lord General Alfwin and, after a brief exchange, seemed to have made him agree to step to one side so they could have a little more privacy while they spoke more. After they were done, the result left those who'd been paying attention – including Hilde – to join the ranks of the shocked or the speechless.

After they'd moved far enough that at least three feet separated them from the nearest other person, the Lysean began: ”My Lord General…”

”Am I?”

”Pardon?”

”Am I YOUR Lord General?”

The Lysean hesitated. ”You are not.”