Chapter 12 Xii Meryline

This is a rewrite of a previously published work. There is a lot of new content in it, but it is not wholly new content. There will be new chapters coming.

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It was a good thing we stopped when we did.

The moment I got my clothes back on, there was a knock on Emilia's door, followed by it opening and First Knight Lady Carmella, in her full heavy armor, walking through. She glanced at me and then at Emilia, who was wiping the results of our encounter off her chest. A brief smirk stretched her lips when she met the maid's eyes.

"Ah, this is what was happening. I wondered what could have gotten you in this mood with our Queen so busy. Blacksmith, you're late for our lesson. I don't like wasting time tracking you down."

"Yes, First Knight. I'm sorry," I mumbled, nodding deferentially. She motioned with her head, and we headed out. She walked in quick, vast strides, and I didn't have to quite jog to keep up with her, but it was closer than I would've liked.

"Did you enjoy your time with your Cher'da?" She asked nonchalantly. I stumbled and almost fell over. She eyed me out of her periphery, and I gulped, feeling my face heat up.

"It was nice, if unfinished," I replied, trying to regain any composure I might've had at one point or another.

"You seemed to have finished just fine. I saw the results myself." She wasn't smiling, but I got the sense that she was enjoying herself just the same. "You must've been very excited." I didn't respond and just kept walking forward. She pressed into my side slightly, matching my pace. "Ah, you wanted to experience her more fully. I see." She considered me, coolly. "You've tasted a queen and the First Knight, yet you still want the maid. Truly, you are insatiable, Johann. Will you even be able to concentrate today? Or will you spend the time pining for what you couldn't have?"

I looked up at her. She was taller than me by more than a bit, especially in those greaves. I stopped, and she did as well, meeting my gaze; I took a step closer to her, took her bare hand, and leaned up slightly, whispering against her neck. "It seems to me that I'm not the only one pining for more."

She didn't quite shiver, but she did linger for a heartbeat or two longer than she should have, undercutting her words some. "You think I'm pining for you, blacksmith? I can have the Queen in my bed whenever I want."

Today's training was miserable. When we got to the training yard, there was plate mail sitting out in the middle of the field. I looked around but didn't see anyone who it could belong to. When I looked to the First Knight to ask who it belonged to, she cut me off.

"Today, you're going to be wearing that for practice." My mouth twisted with displeasure. She continued, standing next to me. "Given that we may be going to a full blown war with Babrycg, you're going to have to get accustomed to this."

My heart sank. I hadn't exactly forgotten about what I'd caused, but it had not been my primary focus, with the reading and other events. I nodded and started towards it. The First Knight stood back and watched as I struggled to put on the armor. It was incredibly heavy and I ended up putting on pieces only to take them off shortly after to get another piece to fit. It took me half an hour to get everything on. And after I did, the Lady Carmella circled me, tightening buckles and adjusting things. The armor wasn't a great fit anyway. It was loose in some places and too tight in others.

As she fixed my mistakes, I considered her. Is her armor also like this? Obviously, this wasn't custom made for me. Is hers? I somehow doubted it. Despite her station, the story about her swords basically confirmed that it couldn't be. It's not even that she couldn't get custom armor or a sword if she wanted it. It's that she'd never ask for it. I clenched a fist, causing my gauntlet to creak. She glanced down at it and then met my eye, but didn't say anything. If she won't get herself anything, then I just have to give her the things she won't ask for.

After she was satisfied with the fit, forcing me to work through every form she had taught me. Every swing of my sword, every parry with my dagger, every single step, any and every motion I took was slower and harder to manage. I hadn't struggled this much since the first day of training back on the road from Sofen.

"Faster, blacksmith!" She would cry as she attacked me, sparks flying off of the chest piece. "Try harder!" She demanded, as she easily deflected my blade. Irritation and resentment built up in my chest. After hours of this, I tore the helmet off my head and tossed it to the ground, breathing heavily. The First Knight called out, taunting me, "Problem, blacksmith?"

"I'm exhausted," I spat, pushing my sweat-soaked hair out of my eyes. "I can't wear all of this heavy metal. And I'm not like you. I'm not a knight. I'm a blacksmith!" I shouted, glaring up at the First Knight. Her green eyes considered me coldly and my hands fell to my side. I continued, muttering, "I don't even know why I'm learning all of this swordplay!"

"Gods," the First Knight muttered, staring into the darkening sky. "Men are weak. Expect them to do a little more than usual, and they collapse under the expectation."

"Yep," I replied, annoyance almost drowning the word out. She stepped forward, taking out the sword I'd made for her. She normally wielded it easily in one hand, so I knew she was serious when she held it in both. She charged forward and slashed.

More out of instinct than actual thought, I brought my dagger up to block the blow. She followed up the slash a second time, and I barely managed to deflect the blow with my sword. She repeated this a few more times, speeding up each time. Until I couldn't keep up. And I felt her sword scrape against the chestplate. I was thrown to the ground. She stepped forward, putting her boot on my chest and forcing me to the ground.

"You're learning the sword because someone with a mouth as smart as yours should be able to defend yourself. I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so." Her words were venom. I felt my face heat up as I glared at her. She softened a little, her arms dropping loosely. "You've almost died once because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. You're getting used to armor because your form is sloppy, and learning to move in heavy armor will make it easier to move to protect yourself both in it and out of it."

Anger coursed through my veins. She didn't lift her boot from my chest for a moment. And when she started to, I grabbed her ankle and pushed up, throwing my other foot behind her opposite. She began to fall but caught herself on her hands and did a handstand in her armor before launching herself in the air and landing easily. She smirked at me. "I am glad you're learning to fight a little dirty, though, blacksmith. I'll make a warrior out of you, yet."

We ended our lesson shortly after that, and I spent a long time trying to doff the cursed armor. Once I finally got it off, I decided to take a long, hot bath. Meryl was going to have dinner with some dignitaries from Kordku, a city to the north of the capital, and Carmella was going to be there with her as protection, not that it should be necessary.

Emilia was also going to be tending to the dinner. I saw how she had dressed for it. Her hair had been styled in a way that hid her ears. My heart sank. I know why she's doing it, but I hate that she has to hide herself at all. I didn't really have any reason to join in on the dinner, and no one had requested my presence explicitly. So, I dressed in some of my less fine clothes and decided to visit the city proper.

To my surprise, they were setting up a fair. Putting up poles that people would wrap lines around and sing, setting up stands where people could hock their wares, and the smell of food was already filling the air. I went over and bought myself a turkey leg. It was tough and a little overcooked, but there wasn't much to be done about it. I heard what the townsfolk were calling the festival. Meryline. It seemed a bit narcissistic to have an entire fair named after you, but I also wasn't a queen and had done nothing to deserve such an honor. Meryl's words of prophecy did try to bubble up and remind me that I was meant to do something important, but I waived them away. She's the important one. At most I'll just be standing next to her when she changes history.

Out of my periphery, I spotted a large, white cat with a huge, fluffy tail. It was well-groomed and had bright, blue eyes. It was watching me. I tore off a piece of the turkey leg and tossed it before the feline. It watched me for a moment, then made its way to the piece of turkey and ate it. I wasn't starving after today and offered the rest of the leg to it. The cat walked up and sniffed at it for a moment, then pounced on it, tearing chunks out of it easily. I wiped my hands on my pants, then hesitantly reached out and stroked the cat's back, scratching just before its tail. It stopped eating and pressed into my hand. "My, aren't you a friendly little cat. Do you have an owner?"

I scratched its neck, and it jumped into my lap and nuzzled into my hands. Despite being very well groomed, it didn't have a collar or any marks of ownership. Our eyes met. I got a decidedly feminine sense from the cat. It might have been my imagination. Her blue eyes were surrounded by tiny black hairs, giving the impression of eyeliner and mascara. I sat there with the cat in my lap, petting her as I watched them prep the rest of the fair tomorrow, with her purring loudly. No one gave me a second look.

After some time, the cat got bored and returned to the turkey. It was well past night, and I decided to wander back to the castle. The castle guards smiled at me. I frowned. Something about their smile seemed... familiar. Knowing somehow. I shrugged it off, not sure of what to make of it, and continued on my way.

I went to Meryl's room and knocked. From behind the heavy door, I heard, "Come in." When I did, she smiled at me. "Ah, Johann. It's good to see you. We missed you at dinner."

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled, bowing my head. "I thought it was a political dinner and didn't want to intrude."

"You are my consort." The queen clarified stiffly. "Your very existence is political. Especially these days." She closed the book she had been reading. "Besides, you need to get used to being seen with me. Especially if we're going to be rallying forces soon. People need to recognize you. As someone so close to the crown, they may need to listen to you and they won't if they don't know you."

"I'm sorry," I repeated, unease spreading out into my stomach. "I'll be at the next one if you need me there."

"Need is not quite the word," she said, standing to face me. She was in her flimsy shift, preparing for bed. She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around my neck loosely. "I am the Queen. I can handle any situations that arise, myself. I have been doing this most of my life. You are not here to serve me in that way. You're here because I want you here. We want you here. You will have responsibilities eventually, but your primary one is to just... be here."

"We?" I asked thickly.

"Both Emmie and Carm were very distraught when you weren't at the dinner to torment," she answered dryly. "They thought it was a missed opportunity."

"You'd think they would have had their fill of tormenting me today," I mumbled, not able to keep the bitterness out of my voice entirely.

"From what I hear, neither of them had their fill of you. Though Emilia did get a feel," she whispered against my lips. I kissed her softly, and she kissed back a little desperately. "You need to go, though. I'm spending the night with Carmie."

"Oh. Okay. But what are you doing tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"What am I doing on Meryline?" she asked incredulously. "I'm overseeing the Queen's Festival."

"Oh. Right. That makes sense," I muttered, my chest deflating some.

"Why?" Meryl asked, her brow furrowing quizzically.

"I was hoping to take you to the fair and enjoy it a little," I admitted, my face reddening a little with embarrassment.

"You wanted to take me out like a commoner and just enjoy the festival?" She asked, her lip trembling a little.

"Y-yeah. Sounds kind of stu-" she interrupted me with another kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. After a moment, we heard someone clear their throat and turned. Carmella was watching us, brow raised. She was wearing a tight dress that left little to the imagination. Her tight, corded muscle strained the fabric. I gulped as I looked at her.

"I thought it was our date night tonight, Ryllie," she muttered, eyeing the two of us with more curiosity than any heat.

"It is. I'm sorry. I told him to leave, but he decided to ask me out on a date," Meryl confided, a broad grin gracing her beautiful face. I smiled too. I couldn't help it. "Like a normal woman. Isn't that adorable?"

"That it is," the First Knight said, walking up to me. She put her hand on my shoulder and turned me to face her fully, scanning me for some detail I couldn't begin to comprehend. Then she pushed me back a little bit, smirking playfully. "You can have her tomorrow when she has time. She's mine tonight, though."

"O-of course, First Knight," I replied stiffly. I felt like I'd done something wrong. She hadn't mentioned the dinner. But surely, that wasn't it, though. It's just a dinner.

I started to walk towards the door when Lady Carmella called out, "Blacksmith,"

"Uh, yeah?" I asked, glancing at her over my shoulder, hand on the knob. She had her arms around Meryl protectively.

"Remember that you have obligations to all of us." I opened my mouth to question what she was talking about, but Meryl stole her attention with a kiss and a hand gripping her muscular ass. I left them to it, smiling. When I returned to my room, I half-expected Emilia to be waiting for me, but no one was there. It seemed... Empty... somehow. Probably just because it's so big. That's it. I stripped and laid down in the huge bed. Alone. Sleep didn't come as easily as it had in the last few nights.

Sleep had never come easily to me. Part of it was the tension I always held and excess nervous energy I couldn't get rid of. Another was the need to be ready for things. I smiled. In some ways, I was made to watch with Carmella. I stared up at the drape over the bed, thinking. Emilia said she couldn't sleep alone either. I wonder why that is. I should've asked.

I woke up the next day less alone. No person was in the room with me. But as I stirred in the early morning light, my leg brushed against something soft and furry. I jolted up and looked down. The large, white cat was staring at me, her bright blue eyes watching me, narrowed in annoyance. I stared at the cat with wide eyes. "H-how did you get in here?" I asked in a hoarse voice. "The door was closed."

The cat didn't answer, of course. She just stretched and meandered over to the warm spot I had just been inhabiting, curling up again. I pet her softly, and she eyed me before deigning to allow it. The door opened, and Meryl walked through. She was dressed in a simple but still refined dress. Something that could work either for a lady or a merchant who splurged quite a bit. She smiled at me. "You're awake. Good."

When she crossed the room, she froze, eyes on the cat. She looked between the two of us, a frown spreading across her face. "Johann, what's this?"

"A cat?" I asked, dumbfounded. "I went out into town last night and gave it a little bit of turkey, and I guess she followed me here. No clue how she got into my room, though."

The cat was eyeing Meryl curiously. Languidly, it got up and padded over to her sniffing the woman. Meryl had gone almost as pale as the cat's white fur. "What's wrong? Are you allergic?"

"Allerg- no, I'm not," she said, forcing her tone to be stable. "Are you looking to... adopt her?"

"Uh, it hadn't crossed my mind." I narrowed my eyes at her, but she didn't clarify. So, I continued. "I just woke up, and she was here."

"I see," she said, reaching out. The cat pressed itself into her hand and nuzzled into her. After a moment, it nibbled on her fingers a little. "Ow! She's got sharp teeth."

Somehow, the cat looked pleased at these words. Must be my imagination, I thought, shaking my head dismissively. I got up and started to get dressed. "You look nice today, Meryl. But are you sure that's fancy enough for your festival today?"

"It's not my festival, Johann," she said absently, scratching the cat's belly. Her fur puffed up around her chest, giving her a weirdly hourglass figure. I shook my head. I really need to get my head on straight today. Meryl continued, "It's the queen's festival."

"But... You're the Queen. It's called Meryline." I tried to think of what I could've possibly been missing, but it all seemed obvious to me.

"Yeah, after my great-great-grandmother, Queen Meryl I," the queen clarified without condescension. Though, she did seem a little more tense. "I'm Queen Meryl II. Didn't they teach you this in your village?"

"Uh... No, not really. We're far enough out so that... the everyday lives of royalty never really got to us. I guess we still celebrate it, though," I said, thinking about the small festival we used to have in the village square. It was nothing compared to what everyone was doing here. The timing was about the same. Sometimes delayed a little bit.

"Everyday lives? Queen Meryl the First ended a war with the main continent," Meryl began her lecture, indignantly. "She brought our troops back from a bloody and pointless war." I held up a placating hand.

"Meryl," she glared at me. "My liege. My Queen Meryl." Despite herself, that got her to smile slightly. I continued on, "I do not doubt your ancestor's accomplishments. But it doesn't change what I said. What happens here in the capital, especially decades, maybe even centuries ago, rarely affects us in the backwaters of nowhere. Back in Sofen, we're always more concerned with ensuring our crops came in on time and that our kids had enough to last through the winter." I sighed, trying not to dwell on home. Bet Daniel's pissed that he has to take over all of the whitesmithing himself. "I understand that you do a lot. And I appreciate your efforts and your ancestors' efforts more than ever when I lived there. You do a lot, and you do it with a good heart. But it doesn't change the fact that this is all meaningless two months' travel out."

Both she and the cat stared at me for a moment. Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, "You really didn't think anything of royalty in your old life, did you?"

"I never thought I'd meet anyone and didn't really think about them. I didn't have a negative opinion of them. Well, maybe when tax season rolled around," I hedged with a shrug. "But that was more just because it seemed steep at the time. Now I know why."

"So, your opinion has changed?" She asked, pouting slightly.

"Of course it has," I insisted with a wave of my hand. "How could it not? I'd never met a queen before. I didn't understand what they did or why they would do it. And that's not uncommon. It's just hard when everything is so far out of the way for us. We couldn't come and petition you easily. And even if we did, the issue may have worsened or faded entirely by the time we got back."

"The people need to be able to trust their royal family. But I see your point." The queen reasoned. She'd used her court voice. As though I was some petitioner. I guess I am, in a way. "They need to know us to do that. So, what would you suggest to make it easier on your people?"

"Meryl, I don't think there is a solution to this problem," I began. She narrowed her eyes. Doubt and irritation battled on her face. But I continued on anyway. "What are you going to do? You provide enough roads, but travel is still slow. Unless you create a way to cover dozens of leagues in a day and provide it to the people, there's nothing to be done."