“Clearly, it is, or you wouldn’t be crying.”
“I’m not crying!”
“Sweating from your eyes, then.”
That draws an unexpected snort of laughter from Alessia. “Fine. Crying. But still, it’s alright. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“That’s impossible. I’m married to you. I worry about you every five seconds.”
“Marriage doesn’t mean you have to care so deeply about your partner, you know.”
“It does to me. It’s my choice to care about you, and I care about you a lot, Alessia. Enough to take up my whole day, every day of the week. I’m always paying attention to you and trying to figure out what’ll make you smile. It’s my only goal every day: to put a smile on your face, no matter how I have to do it.”
“You don’t have to act like my servant. You’re free to make yourself smile.”
“Oh, trust me, I do. I can’t not smile when I get to spend everyday with you. And if I feel like it, I’ll run off and do something fun on my own. But I’d much rather do something fun with you.”
Alessia finally turns to look at me, a smile tugging at her lips. Although her eyes may still be filled with tears, they are not unhappy tears now. I see affection and gratitude sparkling in those beautiful blue eyes everywhere I look in them. There’s no end to their depth. I could search her eyes forever, and I’d still never find the end of her feelings. She feels more things than I could possibly imagine.
That doesn’t mean I won’t try to discover them all, one at a time.
“Aurelio…I’m actually glad that you’re here.”
I smile, brushing her hair out of her face. “So am I.”
“I really hate fighting with Daelia. I only get so much time with her, so spend that time fighting…it…it rips me apart.”
A tear runs down her face, and I immediately wipe it away. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“I want you to hold me, actually.”
“Say no more.”
I undress, climb into the bath, and have Alessia sit on my lap. She buries her face into the crook of my neck and cries. I simply run my hands through her hair and sit there with her, wondering how I got so lucky to marry someone that feels so much and shows so little, but decided to show what little she does to me.
Chapter twenty-three
Alessia
Alright, I admit it, I cried.
But I’m too busy to keep wallowing in self-pity. I have work to do. There’s no rest for a busy queen.
With the tournament coming up, I have many preparations to make. I have to visit the individual training rings throughout the kingdom, decide on which training ring to transform into a stadium, call a meeting for all the trainers in the capital, and decide on the logistics and finer details of the months leading up to the event and of the event itself. Additionally, I have to choose spies to send in with the missionaries, oversee the goods being transported to Krasta, and tend to all the rest of my administrative duties as Queen of Celestia.
Seriously, how does anyone expect a queen to do all this crap by herself? This is a lot for five people, let alone one. I can’t be in two places at once. Or five places, for that matter.
Such is the life of a queen, I sigh.
I walk along to the next training ring on my list, the arena just outside the aristocrats’ neighborhood. Aurelio keeps pace with me, keeping an eye out for any signs of recognition by others. It’s annoying, having to wear these hoods over our heads anytime we try to make our way through a busy city street, but I suppose it’s for the best. I’d be more annoyed ten times over if my citizens stopped me en masse just to ask me dumb questions. I’d prefer to get to the training ring sometime before next week, thank you.
With my arm looped around Aurelio’s, I lead us down the main street, then take the left street when we get to the Holy Church split. My heart sinks as I pass by the towering Church; I wonder if Daelia is inside, training her fool head off, still seething from my announcement. It hurts to know that my relationship with my sister may never be the same, but if it is for the good of my people, I will sacrifice any of my personal treasures to achieve my goals. I cannot waste time grieving over a relationship when the people of Krasta are suffering and dying by the minute. There are much worse things in life than feuding with a sibling.
I pass by some of the upper-class neighborhoods and apartment buildings, their brick and marble designs shimmering brightly in the sunlight. Some foreigners have spoken highly of the glittering streets of the northwest part of Celestia, like they’re some sort of wonder of the world. They’ve dubbed these homes the “gemstones of Celestia,” known for their beauty and the importance of those that live within them. If I’m being honest, between the nobles, the engineers, the high-ranking knights, and the wealthy merchants that live here, this is the most important place in Celestia, barring the palace. Most of our wealth, education, lawmaking, and inventions come from this very neighborhood.
I, however, only see it as a nuisance, as it’s so bright on a sunny day like today that walking by these houses is damn near blinding. The wealth or station in life of a person has never mattered to me as much as the kindness in their heart, anyway, and clearly, these people are not kind enough to consider the eye damage they give passersby just by constructing their homes in bright white marble laced with silver.
I’m grateful when we make it to the training ring at the very end of the street, right before the entrance to the aristocrats’ neighborhood. The training ring is a noticeably large building, standing six stories tall, a city block wide, and two city blocks deep. The entrance isn’t as grand as the Church or the palace, with only simple double oak doors standing in the very center of the building, but the majesty of the place feels the same, what with the hundreds of sparkling-clean windows overlooking the city and the many flags bearing the symbols of the gods hanging from the rooftop, fluttering triumphantly in the wind. Beside me, Aurelio looks up at the flags, shielding his eyes from the sun. A smile lights up his face.
