Pink lions

Another story about Ildiko and Felix. Enjoy!

             Ildiko bit her lip as the girls crowded around her. They were all like colourful birds, shallowly commenting on the young queen’s dress and lack of make-up. They were all normal court women, married into money and fortune. None of them had ever really faced difficulties or poverty, and their lilting tittering was making Ildiko’s head hurt.

“So, like, when will you guys throw another ball your majesty? The last one was so fun!” A girl in purple asked, checking her nails casually.

“As soon as my husband and I wish to.” The ex-jester said coolly, a smile plastered on her face. The girl whined but let one of her companions take her place in front of the throne.  This girl flounced up in a whirl of pink frills.

“My daddy said that you used to be a peasant! Is that true, M’lady?” The other girls gasped and whispered to themselves, staring up at the queen with prying eyes.

“Yes, in fact I was a jester.” The queen replied, sounding calm despite her pounding heart. These girls, although they acted and looked stupid, were like sharks searching for any ounce of weakness they could use to separate her from her husband.

Back when she was a jester, Ildiko had always watched with reserved amusement as girls flocked around the young prince. He was handsome, in a sullen, stoic sort of way.  Allied countries and rich nobles were constantly offering their daughters’ hands in marriage, but Felix had never given in or showed the slightest bit of interest.

Once he had confided in his jester that he hated those bird-like girls who flitted about senselessly. Ildiko didn’t blame him in the slightest.  Even when she didn’t personally have to deal with them, they still annoyed her endlessly.

“Your majesty?” The girl in pink interrupted the queen’s trail of thought.

“Ah, yes?”

“Why in the world would a king marry someone like you?” Ildiko flinched visibly and the girl flipped her hair ruthlessly, her posse chattering behind her in hushed tones. The all looked at her like cats surveying a mouse and the queen shivered.

“W-Well..” The girls pressed closer, waiting for her to slip up. “I-I… I think it was b-because-“

“It’s because I love her, of course. Now please quit crowding my wife.” A deep voice penetrated the crowd of girls who immediately flocked to the king as he walked towards the thrones.

They bombarded him with petty questions, but he ignored them, walking evenly over to his wife. In one fluid moment, he scooped her up and spun around, heading back to the door he’d entered from.  The girls slowed down and stop, a few of them sighing in defeat as the door clicked closed behind them.

The king set his wife down carefully once they were safe behind the door. She turned to face him immediately, burying her face in his chest.

“What’s wrong dear? Did they shake your faith in me that easily?” The king asked softly. His wife shook her head.

“They just… they’re all so vain and self centered! I don’t know how to deal with them… As a jester, I could just flit away or reply in riddles, but as a queen I have to worry about offending them.” Ildiko sighed. Felix pulled away from her slightly and raised her chin so she’d look at him.

“Do you regret marrying me?” He asked bluntly. His wife hurriedly shook her head, standing up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

“Of course not. I love you too, idiot.” She relaxed back into his arms again and sighed. “Even if it’s hard to understand all of these rules and manners, I’d never regret marrying you.” She felt him chuckle.

“Then do you want to go back out there and finish the conversation?”

“NO.” He grinned and pulled away from her, poking his head back out of the door into the throne room where all of the girls sat awkwardly waiting to be dismissed.

“You can leave now.” He said neatly, bowing slightly to be polite. He didn’t wait for a response.

“So,” Ildiko said slowly. “Now what?” The king sighed and deflated slightly.

“Actually, I should go back to the meeting with the other kings…”

“EH?!”  She whacked him upside the head. “That’s an important business meeting!”

“Yeah, so?”

“So you just can’t skip out on it!”

“But I missed you… Come with me?” Felix kept his usual bored expression on, but his eyes looked hopeful, if not pleading. As if she could say no to that.

“Fine.” Ildiko gave in with an overly dramatic sigh.

“Great!” The king took his wife’s hand and they set off towards the war room.

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“Hey… are queens even allowed to sit in on kings’ meetings?”

“Only one way to find out.”

~~Kelsie