forum Royal Dilemma (o/o Closed)

Started March 04, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

"Queen Eleanor."

The voice carried through the corridor, and Eleanor turned smoothly to see the figure of Queen Irene walking towards her and Thomas. Her anxiety began to return, but she straightened herself and smiled at the approaching woman.

"Queen Irene."

Irene, without an escort, stopped in front of Eleanor. Her hair had been braided and looped into a regal bun at the nape of her neck. The bodice of her dress was black, and the skirt was a deep purple with a layer of black lace over it. She glanced at Thomas, her eyes inspecting him for a moment, before looking at Eleanor and inclining her head to the entrance of the West Wing.

"Shall we?" Irene asked.

Eleanor let her hand fall from Thomas's arm. "Yes," she said, leading the way through the doors. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty," she said once the women were walking down the hall. "I was very pleased when you accepted my offer."

Irene looked over at the younger woman with a slightly amused expression. "I'll admit, I was both pleased and surprised to receive your invitation. I hadn't expected it."

As soon as Queen Irene’s voice reached them, Thomas took a step back from Eleanor and bowed respectfully to both women.

Once again he felt small under the older Queen’s gaze but tried not to show it.

He waited a little while longer to give them space to talk before following; since he didn't believe that Queen Irene was a threat to Eleanor.

Eleanor smiled shyly. "I wanted to get to know you better. The receiving ceremony was over so quickly." If only it had been. For Eleanor, the process had seemed to drag out for hours before she realized it had ended. Really, it had only been no more than twenty minutes.

Irene offered a polite laugh. "Indeed." Her eyes locked on the ribbons Eleanor had sewed onto her dress. "Your dress. It's been altered," she remarked simply, allowing the other woman to fill in the blanks.

"Yes, it has been," Eleanor replied, offering her hand so Irene could get a closer look at the embroidered ribbon that had been sewn on by her own hand.

"The needlework is very impressive," Irene remarked, studying the even and elegant stitches. "Do tell your seamstress that she's incredibly talented."

Eleanor swallowed nervously, glancing very briefly back at Thomas before admitting her trade: "I didn't call for a seamstress, Your Majesty. The needlework is my own."

Irene blinked, betraying an emotion of surprise. "It is?" Realization seemed to cross her face. "Ah, yes. I forgot about Marcellus's marriage arrangement. You hold yourself with such composure in court and during the ceremony that I'd forgotten you were not born into royalty."

Eleanor blushed with pride as she lowered her hand back down to her side. "Thank you, Your Majesty. That means a great deal coming from you."

Irene smiled at the young queen, and a hint of warmth showed in her naturally cool gaze. "Call me Irene, dear."

Even from this distance, Thomas was still able to see the two Queen’s reactions. Though he almost wished he could hear them better. But he stayed back. This was about Eleanor getting to know Queen Irene and, hopefully, make friends.

Thomas gave a brief soft smile when Eleanor looked back at him. Given Queen Irene’s subtle reaction to whatever was said, it seemed to be going well.

Eleanor's eyes widened, and the visiting queen laughed a bit. "What's the problem?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her tone. "You'd rather call me 'Your Majesty'?"

"No, no," Eleanor quickly replied. "I just…" She trailed off, noting the expression on the other woman's face. She was being teased. A blush quickly grew on her face. "Irene, that wasn't very funny."

At this, Irene laughed again, this time a bit louder. "On the contrary, Eleanor, it was," she remarked before she glanced back at Thomas with a small smile. "Your guard is rather handsome, isn't he?"

This caught Eleanor completely off guard. Didn't Irene have a king consort? Hadn't Thomas seen the potential aftermath of their lovemaking? "Yes, I suppose he is," Eleanor replied, trying not to give away too much with her tone.

"By the goddesses, if I didn't have Julian, I'd be all over him."

Eleanor's mouth dropped open, and Irene quickly noted it. She arched an eyebrow with a smirk. "What, you're telling me that if there was no ring on your finger, you wouldn't at least try?"

Irene was only six years Eleanor's senior, but the age gap still felt too big. Thomas was around her age, wasn't he? Why had she never asked him? "I suppose you're right," she contributed quietly, though, at the mention of a ring, she couldn't resist toying with the one on her finger. The one meant for a queen. She despised it more than anything.

Irene's grey eyes noted the motion. "Having regrets?"

"No," Eleanor answered, hopefully not too quickly.

The other monarch didn't respond, but Eleanor wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Finally, she spoke again, changing the topic of their conversation to the comparison of their courts. Eleanor relaxed a bit.

Thomas was surprised to hear Queen Irene laugh even once. But he smiled softly at the sound, taking it to mean things were going even better between the two. When she turned back to look in his direction, however, he stood up straight and wiped all emotion from his face. He had to look respectable.

Though the rest of their actions left him confused. The way Eleanor seemed to deflate and revert back to that shy demeanor he first met. He wanted to walk right up to her and wrap her in his arms and assure her that everything was alright. But he couldn't. Not here.

Irene spoke with such authority and confidence, Eleanor couldn’t help but feel small beside her. She began to physically shrink in, dipping her chin lower and pressing her elbows closer to her sides.

It took Irene a few moments, but she noticed. Her eyebrows pulled together as she frowned and stopped walking. The younger queen halted beside her.

“Eleanor, what’s the problem?” Irene asked blatantly.

“Nothing,” she responded before blushing at the look the other queen gave her. An arched eyebrow conveyed Irene’s disbelief without words. “It’s just that…” Eleanor hesitated before speaking her truths softly. “I sometimes don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t have your composure or your poise. And I’ve been able to learn the protocol, but barely. I feel out of place.”

Irene faced Eleanor and put her hands on the young woman’s shoulders. “I’ll say this once only, so listen,” she began. “You belong in this castle and you belong on your throne. You’re more of a ruler than most of the other half-wits on this continent, do you understand? You can’t let yourself be tricked into thinking that you’re lesser than them simply because you were not born into it. Blood is nothing. Power is everything.”

Eleanor’s eyes were wide as she nodded.

“Command them. Be their queen. If you look the part… and let’s be honest dear, you already do. If you look the part and act the part, they will all realize how idiotic they were to question you in the first place. Now… have I made myself clear?”

“Yes,” Eleanor replied, lifting her chin a bit higher already.

Irene squeezed her shoulders before letting her hands fall back down at her sides again. “Good.”

Thomas could feel his heart wrench as Eleanor seemed to physically shrink beside the more experienced Queen. It took all of his self-control and training not to run to her side.

He continued to take a few steps forward before noticing that they had stopped so he was accidentally close enough to hear Queen Irene’s words of wisdom to Eleanor. And he couldn't help but smile. He knew those were exactly what Eleanor needed to hear.

(You ready for this rp cross-over??? Asdfgjhgasjkdlf Also, this is kinda long… So Sorry™)

Eleanor smiled at Irene and motioned to the hallway ahead of them and a set of wooden double doors at the very end of it. "Shall we continue? My favorite place in the entire castle is through those doors," she remarked, and this time, it was the truth. Well, aside from her own chambers when Thomas was there. But she couldn't very well tell Irene that!

Even so, Irene's grey eyes seemed to come alive with a sparkle of joy. "Yes," she agreed. "I'd love to see your favorite place." And with that, the pair began to walk again. Before they reached the end of the hall, Irene paused a moment. "Eleanor, may I tell you something?"

The younger queen was surprised, but she nodded. "Of course," she said kindly. "I shared my truths with you, and I would hope you would feel comfortable enough around me to do the same."

Irene smiled softly. "That's exactly what I wanted to tell you. It's so nice to be able to speak with you. My husband is a complete idiot, as are most of the rulers on this continent. It's why–" She cut herself off quickly and glanced around to make sure no one else was listening to her controversial words. "It's why the queen from Allikos has been taking over so easily. The men in charge are absolute morons. Peidest and Clarion fell so quickly because of Bertram and Kallistar's leadership. But none of that is my point. My husband is nearly always with me, and my court is male-dominated despite my best efforts, and all of these kings don't think I deserve my throne. They think my husband should be the rightful king even though he's only my consort. I digress."

She took a slow breath before continuing as if these were words she'd been wanting to speak for years – and in all likelihood, they were.

"If you don't already know, and I'm sure you have because Marcellus is a whore other for women, the royal circles can get lonely. Eleanor, I hope we can become friends."

Eleanor did her best to keep from looking as shocked as she felt. Irene was asking for her friendship? She was such a stern, fierce woman that Eleanor had a difficult time believing Irene struggled with the same loneliness as she did… but it all did make sense.

"I'd love to become friends with you, Irene."

(don't worry about it. And I love a good cross-over. 😉)

Thomas waited until the Queens had put a reasonable amount of distance between them again. Even though he had been glad to hear Queen Irene’s words but he honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop last time.

He watched quietly, almost wishing he could hear them without being intrusive, but understanding that whatever they were talking about was something that was only for royalty or something personal.

(Yasss! And as the plots develop, there may be more… wink wink ;))

For the first time in a long while, Irene let any guard on her expression drop. She grinned – like the young adult she really was – and hugged Eleanor tightly. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Eleanor hugged her back and closed her eyes happily. She'd done it! She'd made a friend! And a very powerful one, at that. She was elated. "Of course," she whispered back.

The two women broke apart, and Eleanor put her palms against the wood. She looked over at Irene and smiled. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Irene arched an eyebrow. "Should I be scared?"

Eleanor laughed and pushed the door open without further ado. Irene's eyes widened. Before them was Versia's royal library. The walls were lined with books, scrolls, and pieces of parchment. A soft glow from the light outside lit the edges of the room, but the middle was lit by the spidery candelabras that lined the aisles.

"Wow," the visiting queen whispered, stepping into the sacred space. Eleanor followed her, linking their arms and leading her new friend along.

(Yay!)

Thomas was quite surprised when he saw Queen Irene transform, there was no other word for it, and even hug Eleanor. Of all the things he expected to see while he worked as a guard, that had not been one of them. Of course, he didn't expect to fall in love with the Queen he was meant to protect either.

He smiled a little as he took the gesture to mean only good things as Eleanor opened the doors to the library. He was allowed to go in, especially as part of his job to watch the Queen but he considered waiting at the doors while the two talked.

Eleanor showed Irene around all the different sections, pointing out different documents as Marcellus had dismissively shown her during her first month in the palace.

Irene listened with interest. "And which book is your favorite?" she asked curiously. When Eleanor froze up at the simple question, Irene immediately winced. "I'm so sorry, dear. I… I should've thought…"

Eleanor quickly waved her hand in dismissal of the apology. "No, no, it's alright… I just… I haven't…"

Irene nodded in understanding. "I know. Please excuse my ignorance. I can have a private instructor sent for if your bumbling git of a husband hasn't yet."

Eleanor covered her lips to contain a laugh. But before she could tell the truth – that Marcellus had sent no one – the lie spilled out of her. "Thank you for the offer, but I already have a tutor."

Irene couldn't help the shocked expression on her face. "Well… maybe Marcellus is less of an idiot than I thought him to be."

Eventually, the women continued their conversation and headed for the door. Irene stopped Eleanor before they could part ways. "I had a lovely time with you, Eleanor. I hope we can do it again sometime."

"Of course," Eleanor agreed easily. Irene lifted a hand in a parting wave, and Eleanor did the same before slipping her arm through Thomas's. "Back to my rooms," she instructed, unable to hide her excitement. She couldn't wait to talk to him.

After a moment more of thought, Thomas decided to wait at the door for the Queens to talk. Technically, he had already fulfilled his duty by escorting Eleanor where ever she needed or wanted to go. He didn't need to follow her everywhere. But he couldn't keep from glancing into the library to check on her.

He wasn't sure how long he waited before he heard them return. He quickly straightened his posture but had to resist smiling as he heard Queen Irene’s kind farewell and Eleanor’s excitement. “Of course, my Queen.” he nodded, welcoming her touch and matching her pace as they walked together.

(OMG another plot idea)

Eleanor refused to wait any longer than she had to. She wanted to get back to her rooms and talk openly with Thomas about the conversations she'd had with Irene, so her pace was a touch quicker than normal. She couldn't wait to tell him about her new friendship and the information they'd shared.

Soon enough the door to her room was in sight. Eleanor sighed with relief before opening the door. But once she did, she stopped dead. Her heart began to race, and her eyes widened. Sitting on the edge of her bed, perched like a hawk, was Sirus.

Quickly, her excitement turned to fear, which turned into anger. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Leave at once. No one is allowed in my rooms without my permission."

Sirus stood, only his eyes betraying his slight surprise at the way she spoke to him. His smirk remained fixed. "I'm sorry, my flower. I knocked and got no answer, so I decided to wait until you returned." His eyes slid to Thomas and narrowed. "I'll be taking my leave then."

(what’s the idea? 👀👀👀)

Thomas could practically feel her anticipation and was quite eager to hear everything she was willing to share about the meeting. He had no trouble keeping up with her faster pace, matching her step for step without revealing anything in case someone might see them.

When they reached her room at long last, he nearly smiled as he was about to ask her how everything went until she opened the door and revealed the intruder. His eyes widened in shock before he managed to regain control of his expression. It did make him feel a little better to hear Eleanor assert her authority though it quickly soured at Sirus’s nickname. How he was able to not glare back as the unwelcomed man left, he wasn't entirely sure.

(Irene finds out about Eleanor and Thomas 😉😏)

Eleanor stiffened as Sirus made his way past her. "Don't call me that," she added over her shoulder as he left. Once he was out, she shut the door quickly behind him. "By the stars," she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning against the wood.

(that would be fun! 😁)

Thomas sighed as they were finally alone and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I… I'm sorry,” he whispered. He knew it wasn't his fault that the creep had come into her room but he still felt responsible.

(She would literally be like a supportive big sister for Eleanor lmaooo)

Eleanor opened her eyes, and the sight of him helped calm her racing heart. "It wasn't your fault," she replied slowly. "How could you have known that he would break into my rooms?" She shook her head and walked over to her window that looked out over the castle gate and the village beyond it. "I had a very pleasant time with Irene, and I hate him for ruining it."

(Yes!!! Love it!!!! And no one would even try to argue with her!)

Thomas nodded and sighed, knowing her words to be true. But it didn't change how he felt. “I could tell. You both seemed to be getting along very well.” he said as he joined her by the window. “I don't think I know anyone who can say that they heard Queen Irene laugh or made her smile before.” he pointed out, hoping to keep the conversation on a happier topic and away from… him.

(Exactly! So then if Sirus gets suspicious… also another plot point… because if he can't have Eleanor, he wants to ruin her reputation. Then Irene can just tell him off, and everyone will believe her over him)

Eleanor appreciated Thomas seizing the topic of Irene and not lingering on the malicious Sirus. "Yes," she whispered, a smile returning to her own lips at the recent memories. "We confided in each other, and…" She looked over at Thomas as she spoke and suddenly her cheeks warmed. She remembered what Irene had said about her bodyguard. "Talked about girl things," she finished, too quickly.

(Absolutely!!!!)

“Oh?” Thomas couldn't help but smirk softly at the quick answer. “Did she say anything about me? I noticed her look back in my direction.” he admitted.

Eleanor reached up to toy with a piece of her dark hair, an anxious habit that returned time and time again when she was in private. "She, ah, she did say that you are rather handsome," she revealed.

Thomas cleared his throat and looked away to hide his blush at the surprising comment. “I… I see. I’m honored that she even noticed me but I… Umm.” he trailed off, unsure how to finish his thoughts.

Eleanor definitely didn't tell him the other things Irene had said. But it was a relief to see that she was no longer the only one embarrassed by what she had talked about. "But you… what?" she asked curiously.