by Klara Raškaj
"Oh, you need to be more careful, Your Majesty," the handmaiden told her in a worried tone. "You are very important for the future of this kingdom. Everyone would be absolutely devastated if something were to happen to you."
"Yes, of course," Geli assured her as the servants were just about finished dressing her up. "Excuse me." She then rushed out of the bedroom door and hurried to the dining hall.
Her family and the Khazarassi were already halfway through breakfast.
She bowed to her father and step-mother and went to sit at their end of the table while searching the room for the sigh of Krampus, but without much luck. She sat down between Adelaide and the leader of the Khazarassi, Rasier.
"The ball isn't until tonight, Geli," said King Maximilian with an agitated gaze pointed at her. "I didn't expect such tardiness from you at this of all times."
"M-my apologies, Father," she told him and bowed her head. "It won't happen again."
"I should hope not," he replied. "Most men will not tolerate disorganized wives. What will you do if you fail to impress your suitors?"
"I will...try not to let it happen."
"You will try or you will not let it happen?"
"I won't let it happen, Father," she answered more resolutely.
"Good," said Maximilian and returned to his feast.
She sighed as she turned her head away, trying to keep the sadness from surfacing onto her face.
"I hope you've gotten enough rest," Queen Adelaide told her with a smirk. "You'll be quite busy with all the dance requests you'll be receiving at the ball tonight."
"Oh--I'm looking forward to it," said Geli, smiling back at her as she began placing some food onto her plate.
Adelaide leaned closer to her ear. "By the way...need I ask why your neck is a slightly more reddish color than usual?"
"Oh, that!" Geli replied with a chuckle. "I'm embarrassed to even speak of it. I went out into the gardens last night to get some air, and I tripped onto some vines."
Adelaide leaned back, smirking. "Hmm... Yes, plants can be quite problematic if one's not careful enough."
Geli's heart beat faster and her hands trembled beneath the table. Adelaide knew. But how could she have known? More importantly, what would happen next? "A-re you upset?" she asked as she gazed down at the floor with frowning lips.
"Oh, my sweet girl." Adelaide chuckled and stroked her hair. "You still have so much left to learn."
Geli looked up at her with a puzzled gaze.
Adelaide resumed eating, occasionally glancing at Geli as she spoke to her. "I suppose I was lucky enough to have had a family that taught me the true values of life. I thought you would have figured out by now that the castle's rules are not necessarily my own." She turned her head towards her with a smirk. "So...what was it like?"
Geli giggled quietly. "It definitely shouldn't have been a pleasant experience," she explained. "But...I liked it."
Moments later, Rasier, Krampus's father, leaned over to Geli. "Your highness...I'd just like to apologize on behalf of my son once again."
"O-oh! No, it's quite all right," she assured him.
"No, it's not all right," he added. "You've been a wonderful hostess to us. It isn't fair that you should have had to endure such a treatment in the first place." He looked away for a moment to ponder, then turned back to her with a sigh. "Krampus is...different. He's never shown an interest in making friends, and it didn't help that his peers started making fun of him at one point because of his strange hobbies." He took her hand and held it tight. "Geli...if I may speak freely...you're a very sweet girl. I can't tell you how thankful I am that you've been so patient with him. Anyone else would have simply crossed him out of their lives. I know that...perhaps he doesn't deserve your friendship with the way he's acting, but...you must understand...deep down, he's just scared of having his heart broken."
Geli's chest began to heave slightly as she stared at him. What was he trying to say?
Rasier pulled his hands away and turned his gaze to the other end of the room. "I remember you two playing at the last celebration..." He smirked and chuckled. "You were fascinated by his little sticks, and he wouldn't let you have any no matter how many times you asked. But you didn't give up until he finally snapped and handed you one so you'd finally stop pestering him." He smiled at her. "You two spent the entire evening pretending they were swords and battling each other. I'd never seen him enjoying himself so much. He wouldn't even come to the table to eat."
"Then...why does he hate me?" she asked.
Rasier chuckled. "At one point in the evening, you dragged him under one of the tables, lay on top of him, and started kissing his cheeks."
Geli's face turned red. After having coughed a few times, she turned to Rasier, blinking frantically.
He patted her back and laughed. "Yes, you were quite the little vixen. You scared him halfway into the next year. I had to break down our caravan door just to get him to come outside the next day."
"Is that what this was all about?" asked Geli. "With all due respect, it's been ten years. Why is he still holding a grudge? I was only a child. I didn't know any better."
Rasier continued eating. "You've grown up into a smart, kind, beautiful young woman of noble birth. What possible reason would you have to even look at someone like him?"
"You know, I'm not quite sure what you mean by that," she replied resolutely. "I may be the future queen, but I have no problems treating commoners with the same respect I would other noblemen. In fact, I've done nothing but shown him absolute kindness despite his behavior."
Rasier poured himself and her two goblets with milk. He smiled at her as he placed one of the goblets into her hand. "My point exactly."
• • • •
Geli walked out into the snowy gardens wearing a red hood and cape over her white dress in search of Krampus.
The ground and all the plants lay dormant under a layer of snow.
As she walked down one of the paths, she soon came across two figures sitting on a stone bench by the statue of one of the former kings of Nachtgart. She ducked down behind a white hedge, peering just enough to get a better look at them, and listening closely.
Dowager Queen Barbara, Geli's grandmother, sat beside an elder Khazarassi, holding his hands and smiling as they conversed.
"Did you ever think about me...after that night?" he asked her.
"Almost every day," she replied, tears forming in her eyes. "I never could forgive myself for choosing them over you." She shook her head and placed her palm over her eyes. "I made the most horrible mistake, Pfeil. And Maximilian... Perhaps if he were yours, he wouldn't have grown up into such a monster."
He leaned closer and tilted her head up, smiling. "No, don't say such things," he told her. "He is your son. A mother must love her son regardless of who he is. Who will care for him if not you?" He wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. "Besides, you have a wonderful granddaughter. She's almost as beautiful as you were when we first met. You still are."
Barbara threw herself into his arms and kissed him as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. "I've missed you so much!" she cried. "You don't even know how many nights I've thought of taking my own life. Maximilian and Geli were the only reasons I held onto this God-forsaken life this long. I should have left everything behind and ran away with you when I had the chance!"
He stroked her hair as he held her, his smile softening. "Please, don't cry," he said, and gently pushed her away to look at her. "We cannot change the past, Barbara. Let's not waste the time we have left in this world with tears."
She smiled back at him. "I love you," she told him.
He then pulled her into another long, deep kiss.
Geli's eyes glistened from tears as she watched, holding her hand on her mouth. She stood up and walked away at a brisk pace, careful not to get spotted.
Grandmother chose her duties over her own happiness. She sacrificed herself for her family, and it wasn't even worth it in t
he end. Blue blood was not a blessing, but a horrible, horrible curse. She never knew how much Grandmother truly suffered all these years. It wasn't fair.
She collapsed onto a stone bench, covering her face and teary eyes with her hands.
It wasn't fair. Why did they have to have their freedom taken from them the moment they were born into this world? Why were they not allowed to choose when to smile and when to frown? Were they not made of the same flesh and blood as the rest of mankind? Who was the monster that got to decide what one's duty was? More than anything, she wanted to run into her grandmother's arms and apologize for all the wrongs the world had done to her. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair...
Suddenly, there were gentle sounds of crumbling of snow in the distance.
She looked up and noticed a tall, dark figure carrying a large sack on his back while walking around the gardens and picking up fallen sticks and branches from underneath the snow.
He turned his head and his eyes widened as he lay them on her. Like a frightened animal, he made a run for it.
Geli wiped her tears off her face and ran after him. "H-hey! Wait!"
"Leave me alone!" yelled Krampus as he continued running.
"I need to talk to you!" she shouted back as she followed. "Please!"
He backed himself into a corner, frantically looking around the castle's outer walls.
Geli panted as she approached him. "Why are you avoiding me?" she argued.
But instead of answering, he simply pushed her into the snow as he tried to get past her.
She grunted in pain as she fell, but quickly grabbed hold of his cape and pulled him down with her.
"You bitch!" he shouted as the two wrestled around in the snow. "Stop--following--me!"
"Not until you--ugh!" She tried to wrap his arm around his neck, but instead, he swung her to the side and pinned her down to the ground.
"Can't you take a fucking hint?" he yelled. "I hate your guts! I hope you hang!"
"Then why did you make love to me?" she asked him in a furious tone.
"I raped you!"
"That's not true and you know it!"
"Only because you're the only fucking insane woman in this world who actually enjoyed it!"
She wriggled out of his grasp and slapped him. "You pig!" she shouted as she fumbled while standing up, glaring at him with her teary eyes. "I was nothing but kind to you the moment you got here! Even after the way you treated me, I gave you the benefit of the doubt! I can't believe I even thought I was starting to like you! I gave you the one thing that defined my worth in this damned world! Does that mean nothing to you?"
He merely got up as he glared at the ground and shoved her as he walked away.
"Fine! Go!" she yelled after him. "That's all you know how to do: run away!"
Barbara and Pfeil rushed over to her soon enough.
"Geli?" Barbara called for her and took her hands as she approached her. "Geli, child, why are you crying? What's the matter?"
Geli turned her head away and pulled her hands out of her grasp. "I'm fine," she assured them through her the sniffling. "I'm all right. Please, don't bother yourselves with me. Go enjoy yourselves." With that, she walked away, back towards the castle entrance, breathing heavily and struggling to keep her tears from spilling down her face.
CHAPTER TEN
Barely Even Friends
GELI ENTERED THE ballroom in a large red dress covered in white lace with long sleeves that evening. Her shoulders were bare, with only a ruby necklace on her neck and chest. Her ruby tiara sat comfortably on top of her head as she strolled around the crowded room, bowing to the Khazarassi and noblemen.
It was a battle of volume between the music and the Khazarassi's chatter. They were dancing, conversing in large groups, and of course, drinking as much beer and wine as they could get their hands on.
The human noblemen, the little there were compared to the Khazarassi, were far more restrained, partaking mostly in conversation, as it was considered inappropriate to engage in dance until the entire royal family was present. Especially since the princess was yet to be married.
It wasn't long before Niko, the white-haired Khazarassi, wearing his usual, traditional Khazarassi attire, approached. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "So, you've finally decided to grace us with your beauty, Your Majesty?"
Geli chuckled and glanced to the side. What was she supposed to say to that? Was he making a joke? Was he secretly mocking her tardiness? Didn't he know the eligible royals must always arrive later than the rest of the family so as to get more attention from possible suitors? "Yes, I uhm... I took my time picking out a gown for this evening."
"Then I'd say it was more than worth the wait," he said, his eyes gazing up and down her body as he smirked. "You look absolutely radiant."
She bowed her head with a smile. "Thank you."
A young noble then approached Geli with a bow and kissed her hand. "Your Majesty, you are so far the loveliest creature I've had the pleasure to lay eyes on this evening."
"I thank you," she told him and bowed her head once again.
"I hear the Dowager Queen is feeling much better now that the festivities are well underway," said the nobleman. "Please send her my regards, should you happen to speak with her tonight. And I...do hope everyone is in good health?"
"Yes, we are all well, thank the good Lord," Geli replied. "You are most kind to ask."
Niko coughed into his fist. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but the princess and I were having a private conversation."
The nobleman turned to him with a smug frown. "Oh... Yes, well...I'm sure you have plenty of interesting tales of getting drunk and eating unskinned rodents to tell, but if you'll excuse us, I have important matters of the court to discuss with Princess Gerlinde."
Niko glared at him, though kept on his smile as he tilted his head to the side. "Yes, we are very skilled at enjoying life, that much is true. We don't really have a need for unnecessarily making things difficult for ourselves."
"If by 'enjoy' you mean to say you lay around all day doing nothing and come into other people's homes to eat their food and bed their women," the nobleman argued.
"Well...I can understand why that would upset you," said Niko. "But at least we don't have to teach them from an early age that it is their duty to marry the man with the fattest coin purse or risk being shunned by their own family. We prefer charming women into marriage, not threatening them."
"I never expected you to understand the way we do things and why," the nobleman added with a smirk. "After all...you're nothing but a filthy savage leeching off the hard work of respectable members of civilized society."
Niko shook his head as he held it down and huffed out air through his nostrils. He then looked up at Geli, still smiling. "Would you like to dance?"
"U-um...yes," she said with a nervous grin, extending her hand towards him. She turned to the nobleman as Niko whisked her off. "Please excuse me."
As they joined the dancing crowd, he twirled her, then pulled her close. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that."
Once they were out of earshot of the nobleman, Geli gazed at Niko with a smile. "Thank you for standing up for us," she said. "It was very kind of you."
"Honestly, it sickens me how they see everyone but themselves as either pets or cattle," he added. "This entire celebration is a joke. We keep telling ourselves we need to keep the peace where there is none. Not anymore." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "Just give the word. We can end this. Once and for all..."
"I wish it were that simple," she replied. "But a sudden and violent change will only be greeted with resistance."
"We will persevere," he said.
She shook her head. "You can't fight the winter with a blizzard and expect flowers to bloom. One side will have to start loving and giving, no matter how much of themselves they may lose..." She averted her gaze as her lips formed a slight frown. "...no matter how much it hurts."
Niko smiled at her and sighed. "I suppose...
we haven't exactly been doing much giving, have we?" he asked.
Geli merely glanced to the side.
Niko nodded. "At the very least, I am hopeful about the future." He looked away, his eyes glimmering. "You will make a wonderful queen, and you deserve a just and honest man. Perhaps then...things could finally start changing for the better."
The song had ended, and he let go of her as the entire hall clapped in unison.
Geli graciously bowed to him. "Thank you," she said with a smile.
After a quick stroll, she approached a group of young noblemen buried in a deep discussion. However, they all lost their breaths and turned to her with smiling lips as they laid their eyes on her.
"Princess," said one as he approached to kiss her hand, "so kind of you to join us."
"I hope the festivities are to your liking," added another. "And I certainly do hope you and yours are well."
"Please--you needn't worry so much about me," she told him with a smile. "I should be asking you the same thing."
"In any case, I think I speak for all of us when I say that you've made our night by gracing us with your presence," said one noble. "We are, unfortunately, unable to decide amongst ourselves which one of us will have the pleasure of dancing with your first. Would you be so kind as to choose in our stead?"
"If you insist," Geli replied. "I would only like to have a drink first. The last dance has left me quite parched."
"Oh, allow me to get you something," said one of the noblemen.
"No, please," she protested politely. "It would be unfair to the other lords if you were to do me this kindness. I would have no choice but to dance with you first because I would be so indebted to you."
"She has a point, Derek," said another.
"Yes, quite," the young noble added. "Sharp as always, Your Majesty."
Geli smiled at them, bowed, and thank them before making her way to the table full of goblets and pitchers to pour herself some wine. She took a sip and a deep breath as the sweet nectar cooled her body from the inside.