The Ruling Queen

by R. E. Steele

  Vasilis took off in that direction. Once he had decided something, he was quick in its performance. His didn’t tolerate inactivity for long.

  But once he reached the kitchens, he was surprised to find Roxanna wasn’t there. All was quiet, as it should be. But there was no one there. No, there was someone, or something. It dashed off into the darkness of the surrounding woods. At first, Vasilis thought it was an animal, come to scavenge whatever dropped foodstuffs it could find. Vasilis shook his head. Silly, creature. It didn’t know that Roxanna had instilled very strict standards in these kitchens. Everything was kept clean and tightly locked up for a reason. She didn’t want the pests bringing disease. But as Vasilis drew closer, he realized with shock and horror, that this had been no animal. There were the boot prints of men just inside the facility, and upon closer examination, Vasilis saw that they were Kalarian.

  Vasilis quickly called the guard. It was easy to do when there were so many pots and pans to create a racket with. But he was panicking. Where was Roxanna? Had she been captured? He didn’t see any signs of a struggle. But he knew he probably wasn’t examining his surroundings as closely as he would have, if he were in a calmer state of mind. No, she could very well have been taken, and he hadn’t been there to protect her.

  Chapter 51

  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

  ~ Proverbs 4:23

  Roxanna reentered the camp, and was surprised to see it all astir. What had happened? What would cause such alarm that everyone seemed to be running in every direction? However, it didn’t take long for her to find out. Celena, Estella, and Theodoros ran by, but stopped like they had seen a ghost when they recognized her.

  “Roxanna!” they exclaimed.

  “How did you escape?” asked Estella.

  “Escape? What do you mean?” asked Roxanna.

  “Imperial soldiers were spying on the camp,” explained Theodoros. “They made it as far as the kitchens. We thought, since you had been seen going that direction, that you had been captured.”

  “No, I didn’t even know they were here,” said Roxanna.

  She looked around uneasily. She now realized how foolish it had been for her to venture off as she had. She wondered she hadn’t been spotted and captured by imperial forces, who surely wouldn’t hesitate to come after her, especially considering how adamant their master was about seizing her. Roxanna hoped the old lady hadn’t been taken. She rather wished to send scouts out to check on her, but that wouldn’t be possible. The camp was already in an uproar, and the old lady had somehow escaped capture before. Roxanna hoped she could do so again.

  “Hey everyone! We found her!” yelled Theodoros.

  Everyone seemed to stop at once. Vasilis came running from the crowd to see for himself that she was there.

  “Where were you?” he demanded.

  The tone of his voice took Roxanna aback. It was so serious, almost angry, that she knew he must have been very worried about her. It touched her, despite the contempt she held him in. Though she soon was brought out of this feeling by the thought that, had they remained in the fort in the first place, he might have been spared his worries. Still, she wasn’t unsympathetic to his plight.

  “I was in the woods near the camp, just over there,” she said pointing toward a tree. “I thought it was safe, since we all go that way for water.”

  Vasilis was wise enough not to chastise her. Instead, he took her by the arm, and led her to her horse. He helped her mount. Roxanna was about to protest that she didn’t have her belongings, when she realized they were already packed in her saddlebags. She supposed she had Celena to thank for the courtesy.

  It didn’t take long for the camp to finish packing. The alarm caused by the sighting of the spies, and Roxanna’s supposed disappearance, added speed to their efforts. They then all took off at a quick pace. It wasn’t a run which would draw attention, but fast enough that they would put lots of distance between themselves and Nikolos’s forces, which were no doubt coming.

  Vasilis wasn’t taking any chances. He had Roxanna ride up front next to him. How much of that was because she had scared him, and how much was strategic, Roxanna didn’t know. But considering that she usually was in the middle in a transport with her sisters, and she wasn’t this time, she guessed the former was the major reason.

  He didn’t say much, nor did she. She was anxious to ask him who he had been before Achlys fell, but she didn’t feel comfortable speaking of such things when other people were nearby. She thought she might have to wait several days, which irked her. But surprisingly, she soon had a fortuitous meeting with Vasilis, alone. When they stopped for the night, she had been unable to sleep. He must have been suffering from insomnia as well, for she found him at the fire, staring into the flames.

  “Don’t go wondering off,” he warned in a more serious tone than usual.

  “No worries,” she said. “I have no intention of scaring everyone again.”

  He gestured to the seat next to him, and she took it. He seemed surprised that she was willing to be near him, after they had been so lately at odds with each other. Little did he know what she had in mind.

  She was silent at first, wondering how she should broach the subject. He seemed curious to know why she was there, but didn’t say anything. She could well guess why he was there. He had been worried for her, which despite her best efforts, still touched her.

  She decided the best policy would be to ask him outright. She could learn the truth that way, without any confusion concerning her meaning.

  “Who were you before Achlys fell?” she asked, after studying him for a moment.

  “You haven’t already guessed?” he asked.

  “I think you were the son of a nobleman, quite possibly a high ranking one, which explains why so many people follow you now. But I don’t know who or what exactly you were,” she said.

  “It doesn’t matter who I was then,” he said.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. Why was he being so evasive? Could she be wrong? Was he a commoner, and was afraid that she would think less of him for it? He had less to worry about on that account. She could respect a man taking charge of a situation when no one else would. Even though he had failed several times, at least then she could give him the credit of trying when he had probably been ill prepared for the position he had assumed. But no, she didn’t think she was wrong. He must have been something important, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was important enough that he felt some shame for what he had become.

  “Vasilis, your evasion only leads me to believe you must have been from one of the highest-ranking families in Achlys, if not royalty yourself,” she said. “Your avoiding the question, will only cause me to keep looking. Wouldn’t you rather I found out the truth from you, than some other way?”

  That last argument had him. It would be better if she learned the truth from him, and he knew it.

  “Ok, but once you hear it, you won’t like it,” he said.

  “I think I can be the judge of that,” she said.

  “He starred at her for a moment more, and then pulled a small case out of his pocket. He handed it to her. She opened it and saw a familiar face. It was a young lady, probably no more than thirteen, richly dressed in a fine gown, and painted in regal looking room. She knew that room. It was her father’s study. She knew the face too. It was her own, when she was younger.

  “How did you get this?” she asked.

  Vasilis snorted, though it seemed more like derision toward himself than her. “How do you think a thief like me would get ahold of something like that? You know I don’t hit Oreiasan targets, only Kalarian.

  That was true. She had never known him to steal from anyone other than the Kalarians. Still, the meaning of his hints eluded her. Why would his being entrusted with such an object, give her any better clue concerning his identity. Perhaps Crown Prince Vasilis gave it to him for safekeeping. But why not hang onto the portrait himself?
>
  She looked up to see Vasilis watching her. She stared back; her mind still blank.

  “You still haven’t guessed, have you?” he said. He then shook his head. “Have I really fallen so far?” he asked more of himself than her. “Tell me, how did you like my portrait, which was sent in exchange for this one?” he asked.

  Roxanna’s eyes widened in astonishment. She had received such a portrait, but it was of Crown Prince Vasilis, not the Vasilis she knew now. At first, she thought she could comfort herself with the thought that he was joking. But upon closer examination, she realized that portrait she had once studied so closely, bore a strong resemblance to the man who was before her now. There was no denying it. The fantasies she once held as a young girl, came crashing down. The boy who she had once thought so heroic, had turned into the coward who sat before her now. Vasilis was the Crown Prince of Achlys, whom she had once been betrothed to.

  Chapter 52

  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

  ~ Proverbs 16:32

  The Lystra Gang continued its restless journey to the coast. Vasilis would have liked to move faster, but Kalarian troops were all over the place. Nikolos was sending more men in. Having discovered Vasilis was the leader of the gang, Nikolos now had extra motive to capture them. Vasilis rather wondered if Nikolos had guessed his plan too. It was rather terrifying to think that they wouldn’t even be able to reach a port. But Vasilis knew he at least had the advantage of surprise on his side. Nikolos, on the other hand, didn’t.

  Speaking of what Nikolos knew, he no doubt was aware of the betrothal that once existed between Roxanna and Vasilis. Perhaps he felt that Vasilis was trying to claim his former fiancée, in one last desperate attempt to cling to the greatness and dignity he once possessed. Vasilis had to admit, much of his curiosity about Roxanna had originated from the engagement. But he had never had any intention of claiming her after he lost his kingdom, until they met in the forest that is. Vasilis hadn’t objected to the betrothal. It had happened when they were both quite young, as soon as Roxanna had been born and he was three. He had grown up rather used to the idea, and was always hearing that she was a kindhearted, clever, beautiful girl. He had received her portraits regularly, as she had received his, so there seemed to be nothing to hide concerning her. Indeed, the only negative he had heard about her was that she could be quite stubborn.

  Ironically, he had purposely grabbed all her portraits when he fled his last stronghold, out of some odd desire not to let Nikolos see her. It was strange for a youth of sixteen, to be so particular about not letting another youth of the same age, see a picture of a girl who was only thirteen at the time. But perhaps, even then, Vasilis felt some jealousy over her, as he did now.

  But back to the present, knowing of the betrothal would add additional motivation for Nikolos’s actions, or at least, Vasilis felt it would be had he been in Nikolos’s place. Vasilis knew Roxanna was a great prize to be won, outside of the kingdom she had inherited. But his love for her wasn’t doing much good. Once Roxanna had come to understand who Vasilis was, and the answer must have come as a shock to her, for she looked stunned and didn’t move for a minute or two, she fled back to her tent. She hadn’t spoken to Vasilis since. Vasilis hadn’t much liked keeping Roxanna in the dark, and had only done it out of a desire not to mortify himself. But he had impulsively decided to tell her the truth then and there, out of strange, forlorn hope that she would reciprocate his feelings. He was growing lovesick due to her ignoring him so persistently. But it had done no good. Now, instead of showing anger, she showed him only contempt. While it was possible to sink lower in her opinion, he didn’t think he could go much further.

  It was with these thoughts weighing on his heart, that Vasilis continued to lead his gang through the rainy forest. He sincerely wished they were already on a ship and flying to safe harbor. They still had to take a circuitous route however, to avoid being seen. They were forced to pass through several small towns and villages due to the roads being so heavily patrolled. It was during the passage through one such town. on the border between Achlys and Oreias, that Vasilis began to feel even more guilt for his decision.

  Though still a small town, it was already being transformed into the imperial model; efficient, and effective, but cold and ruthless. The factories that had already existed there were being expanded, and the number of workers had grown. This would normally be seen as a good thing, but the Kalarians had a way of making a good thing into a bad one. Every person, by law, from the age of sixteen and up, had to participate in some useful employment. While the Kalarians did take into consideration talents and preferences, people were still often forced into positions they had no liking for. You either worked in the fields of a farm, helped run a store, produced goods in a factory, or joined the military. Artisans and craftsmen both, were required to create their pieces in factories too. Teenagers and young adults who were still in school, were given fewer hours, but they still had to work. The women also, even after they were married, were forced to work, until they began rearing children. The pay was good, which was important, for despite all their faults, the Kalarians hated slavery. But being forced to work a job that you didn’t like, or in a way you didn’t like, had a bad effect on the population’s spirits. This made them reluctant to do their tasks, which caused the Kalarians to crack down on them.

  Vasilis and Roxanna saw one such instance. A group of young people, probably their age, were in the town, laugh and enjoying themselves, when they were approached by a squadron of soldiers.

  “You there, why are you not working?” demanded the captain.

  “We took the day off. We only wanted to have a little fun,” said one of the men.

  The women drew closer to the menfolk. Obviously, this was a set of sweethearts.

  “There are no days off for you except the ones prescribed! Get back to work!” the captain ordered.

  With that, the group was driven back toward one of the factories. Vasilis was tempted to ride in and interfere, but held himself back. He knew he could do no good. He saw Roxanna had the same urge, but she held herself in check. She too saw the consequences of interference would be grave.

  But Vasilis was hit hard by the suffering of his people, and he knew Roxanna felt the same way, for it was clear the group had been a mixture of both Achlysians and Oreiasans. But there was nothing they could have done. They were one band against the army of an empire.

  Chapter 53

  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

  ~ Proverbs 16:18

  The trip through the small town had a greater effect on Roxanna than Vasilis realized. It was after witnessing the mistreatment of the people, both her own and Vasilis’s, that she came to a decision. She would seek out the old woman, and learn from her who her mysterious ally was. Roxanna knew she had to stay. There would be no fleeing for her. She couldn’t, simply couldn’t. So regardless of what happened, she knew she wouldn’t be leaving. Her sisters would go. In fact, she was thinking it would be best for her to give her consent to Theodoros marrying Estella. That way, at least Estella and Celena would be cared for and protected. Yes, Theodoros had told her his plan of bettering his condition, and considering her current situation, and recent decision, she thought it for the best that she agree. At least Theodoros would be willing to work to keep Estella comfortable, unlike how his brother was with her. Theodoros might not regain what was once rightfully his, but he would at least try to give Estella a good life. Roxanna wasn’t certain she would succeed in her mission, despite all her resolutions, efforts, and attention to detail. It would be wise to have her sisters settled in the meantime.

  Roxanna gave her consent to Theodoros that evening, though she didn’t say what had triggered the decision. She felt somehow, that it was best Theodoros not know. If he knew she intended to stay, he would probably alert his brother out of concern for her safety. Then, it
would be impossible for Roxanna to seek out the old woman, thus ending her plans.

  Theodoros was overjoyed by the news, as was Estella. Celena seemed happy too, but she looked at Roxanna with an odd look, as if she suspected what Roxanna intended to do. But Roxanna left before Celena could question her. She would understand once Roxanna told her the truth. In the meantime, it was best she not know.

  Amidst the happy sounds of her sister and her future brother-in-law, Roxanna left the tent, pulled up the hood of her cloak, and headed for the woods. It was still a risk to go out in it, but Vasilis had left her with no other choice. The old woman seemed to have an uncanny ability to find her, as if she was waiting for her. Roxanna trusted that tonight would be the same way.

  Roxanna’s trust proved to be well founded. The old noblewoman was there, as if she was expecting Roxanna.

  “Did you ask Vasilis?” she asked.

  “Yes, and I know the truth now, though I can’t say it’s improved my opinion of him.”

  The noblewoman smiled and nodded approvingly.

  “I knew you were a clever girl,” she said. “You wouldn’t have remained free as long as you have otherwise.”

  Roxanna snorted. “If freedom it can be called.”

  “Have you given anymore thought to who your other friend is?” asked the lady.

  “Yes, but I cannot for the life of me figure out who it is,” said Roxanna. “Would it be possible for me to meet this person?”

  The noblewoman thought for a moment and then nodded with a gracious smile.

  “I believe that can arranged,” she said. “Follow me, and I will lead you to him.”

  Roxanna complied. The noblewoman moved with surprising swiftness. She was quiet too, which explained to Roxanna why she hadn’t been spotted by either side before. The woman clearly took good care of herself, for though old enough to be Roxanna’s mother, in fact older, she was no frail or gouty dowager. Roxanna was actually rather pressed to keep up with her.