Bab 70: Audiences
Isabelle struggled to sleep that night which led to her having a rotten mood the next morning.
After a lone breakfast, Isabelle went to the aviary in hope of improving her spirits.
"Isabelle." Samuel approached her with his usual mischievous smile. His eyes looked like warm pots of honey in the sun. Isabelle looked up at him and momentarily got distracted by his handsome face. He evoke different feelings in her than Cassian did.
"Morning, Sam." Isabelle straightened up, mindful of the little birds that gathered around her feet. "I assume that you were looking for me."
"Indeed. Firstly, we are well overdue a sparring session and I would like to request your assistance this afternoon on the training grounds."
"Oh, I don't think I should." Isabelle hesitated.
"No one is going to be there." Samuel reaffirmed her. "Cassian will be busy too."
"Okay." Isabelle nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you at 15:00 then. Second matter, can you take that to Cassian?" He passed her an envelope.
"What is this?" Isabelle took it with suspicion.
"Some information he might need for his next audience."
"Why don't you give it to him yourself?"
"I need to go check onto some brawl that I was just informed of. Can you pass it on in about fifteen minutes? I need to rush away."
Isabelle nodded with hesitation.
"Of course. When you are returning can you grab some natural oils from the botanist?"
"Of course." Samuel bowed his head. "Will I need any more information to fulfil that request?"
"No. Natural oils for ointments. That should suffice." Isabelle smiled as Samuel left her alone.
Isabelle looked down at the envelope concerned that Samuel was going to trick her into something for his own entertainment.
She slowly walked towards the throne room where Cassian was receiving more audiences this morning. She walked through the same door as when her step-mother and half-sister were there. She moved quietly in the shadow, watching a woman dressed up in a hat with peacock feathers and a man with a tight velvet vest speak to Cassian. Cassian evoke a lot of feelings inside of her as he sat on the throne with his neutral face. His neutral face was verging on looking irritated. If she didn't know him, she would have bend under his piercing eyes. His crown rested on his black hair, contrasting with its colour. He wore black regal clothes today with white collar.
Cassian spotted her and straightened up on the throne. Isabelle held the envelope anxiously, fidgeting with her fingers. She wasn't sure if she should approach him or how.
Cassian stood up and put his finger up to the couple to silence them. They've obeyed. Then he waved his hand to summon Isabelle.
"I'm so sorry to disturb you." Isabelle mumbled quietly as she approached him.
"Your highness." Cassian said loudly as she stood in front of him. He grabbed her hand with enthusiasm and pulled her closer. "Welcome your princess." He turned to the crowd behind them. The people in the room bowed deeply to Isabelle. Isabelle felt her body tense up.
"Ave Reginae!" The crowd exclaimed.
"I've brought you something from Samuel." Isabelle mumbled as she passed Cassian the envelope.
"Oh, that's splendid!" Cassian was happy for her delivery. He led her up the steps and pointed at a throne beside him. "Would you like to join me?"
"I shouldn't…" Isabelle hesitated. Cassian looked at her crowd.
"One audience?" Cassian requested. It might have been a question but to Isabelle it felt more like an order.
Isabelle nodded with hesitation and sat down on the throne that Cassian led her to. She wore a slightly more comfortable dresses again now that Annette was away, and her blue hair was down in waves. She felt very underdressed to sit on the throne but to the onlookers she looked nearly magical.
Cassian bowed in front of her. "Ave Reginae, Isabelle." He said with the widest smile before he kneeled and kissed the back of her hand. Isabelle blushed in the deepest red.
"Ave Princeps." Isabelle responded readying to stand up and reciprocating the honours.
"Sit, please." Cassian instructed her before he got up and sat down on his own throne. The two thrones were in line, equal in many ways. It was very different to Galbore where Edgar sat at the forefront, and his wife was sat behind him. "Now that Isabelle, princess consort of Ariadna arrived, we shall continue." Cassian announced.
The woman spoke up again.
"Our sons… the war is not their calling. Your highness, they are needed at their courts. They need to manage the land. The servants." The woman sobbed. Isabelle felt immediate grief for the mother who wanted to protect her kids. She clenched the armrests of the throne, feeling very anxious. Cassian reached his hand a crossed to her and held her hand tightly as they listened. It was comforting to feel his large fingers intertwine with hers.
"What role do your sons perform in preserving the land?" Cassian asked coldly. Isabelle looked sideways at him, surprised by the change of his tone. She wanted to sink into her throne, vanish, but somehow it didn't feel so bad to be sat beside Cassian. His scary demeanour that he emanated to others was very different to how he treated Isabelle.
"They overlook it."
"How?" A sharp and short question showing what he thought of the request.
"They…" the woman stuttered. "They command the serfs. They manage accountants."
"So they speak orders to the people who actually manage the land." Cassian concluded. "I am uncertain if that should relief them of their duties to their kingdom." He turned to Isabelle. "Your highness? What are your thoughts?"
Isabelle was definitely not happy to be put on the spot. Her lips parted and eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Cassian and then the pair standing in front of them, and a crowd further gathered towards the end of the throne room. There were some observers standing on the balconies.
Her heart pounded and her head spinner momentarily but with all her strength she tried to gather some coherent thoughts.
"I can sympathise with a woman who wants to protect her children. I can also sympathise with a head of the state wanting to protect his kingdom." Isabelle answered carefully. "Telling serfs how to do their job is hardly a job significant enough to excuse the contributions to the kingdom. But, preserving land and taking care of our agriculture can help to improve the harvests and it is important to Ariadna."
"Yes?" Cassian raised his brow with interest. He couldn't quite decipher where Isabelle's train of thought was going yet.
"If the sons of this mother are willing to stay away from military, then they must work as hard as the serfs to improve their harvest, learn how to keep the books of the estates, do maintenance work to improve the state of the properties. They cannot avoid getting their hands dirty if it is what's needed of them." Isabelle said less confidently.
Cassian hesitated and then smiled.
"How does that sound to you, lady Persival?"
"They're nobles!" The woman protested at first.
"So they should join the military like the tradition dictates." Cassian reminded her with a shrug. He was becoming numb to the many requests he had to answer.
"Is their shiny title and their position more important to you or their life?" Isabelle asked the woman directly as she tilted her head. It was that inquiring and quizzical look filled with quiet judgment that Cassian recognised now well.
"I shall ensure that they are taught how to harvest the lands." The man spoke up. Cassian looked between Isabelle and the two nobles trying to assess the situation. Isabelle's question was filled with that judgment and discontentment that made others buckle. "Thank you, your highnesses. Ave Reginae, Ave Princeps." They both bowed deeply before departing.
"That was very smart." Cassian smiled at Isabelle again. "Thank you for bringing the note from Samuel. It was some information about the trades we are doing with the next person to be seen. Very useful to have on hand when making big decisions."
"No worries. Sir Asselin had to depart to see to a brawl in Ariadna."
"I might have heard some whispers about it. Glad he's on it." Cassian nodded in approval. "I shall not keep you here for much longer. I am certain that you have more important things to do than listen to people whining. Thank you for the very thoughtful suggestion that I wouldn't have come up with myself."
"What were you going to do?" Isabelle asked curiously.
"Force them into military." Cassian admitted.
"I see. You should've done as you thought was right." Isabelle felt embarrassed.
"Your decision was the right one." Cassian squeezed her hand again. "My day is looking rather busy. I will see you at dinner if I don't manage to escape earlier."
"Of course." Isabelle smiled weakly at him.
"Seeing you gives me energy to make it through the rest of today." He kissed the back of her hand again. He stood up and led her down off the podium and towards the shaded area of the room. "Thank you."
Isabelle bowed her head before departing. She was keen to hide away from the crowd and continue her planning for the ball and the clinic.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone